University  of  California  •  Berkeley 


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PETER  PARLEY'S  LITTLE  LIBRARY. 

This  series  of  entertaining  and  useful  Books  is  designed  for  Children. 
They  will  be  elegantly  printed,  and  handsomely  illustrated  by  Engra 
vings.  They  wifl  consist  either  of  Biographical  Tales  and  Adventures, 
of  an  authentic  character,  or  lively  and  amusing  descriptions  and  illus 
trations  of  the  Arts  of  Life.  They  will  be  by  different  writers,  but  the 
selection  of  the  works,  and  the  general  superintendence  of  their  publica 
tion,  will  be  committed  to  the  Author  of  Peter  Parley's  Tales.  The 
following  are  among  the  works  which  will  belong  to  the  series. 

1.  THE    ADVENTURES    OP   CAPT.    JAMES    RILEY,   IN 
AFRICA. 

2.  THE  STORY  OP  JOHN  R.  JEWETT,  the  Captive  of  Nootka 
Sound.  i 

3.  THE  SHIP,  or  entertaining  descriptions  of  the  Structure  and  Use 
of  a  Ship,  with  Stories  of  Sea  Adventures,  and  a  History  of  the  art  of 
Navigation. 

4.  THE  STORY  OF  LA  PEROUSE,  and  an  account  of  the  voy 
ages  made  to  discover  his  fate.  I 

6.  THE  FARM,  or  a  new  account  of  rural  scenes,  with  the  toils, 
pleasures,  and  pursuits  of  Farming.  By  J.  Taylor.  , 

6.  STORY  OF  ALEXANDER  SELKIRK,  who  inhabited  a  soli- 
tary  island,  alone,  for  several  years. 

7.  THE  MINE,  an  entertaining  account  of  Mines  and  Minerals. 

8.  THE  GARDEN,  or  the  art  of  laying  out  and  cultivating  it. 

fjj-  These  wofks  are  prepared  with  the  view  of  rendering  them  at 
tractive  to  children,  and  amusing  to  all  classes  of  youthful  readers  ^  at 
the  same  time  they  are  calculated  to  impart  knowledge  of  a  useful  kind. 


THE  PARENT'S  PRESENT,  edited  by  the  author  of  Peter  Par 
ley's  Tales. 

fj^  This  work  is  very  neatly  printed,  and  is  designed  as  a  Christmas 
or  New  Year's  present,  for  parents  to  their  children. 

PETER  PARLEY'S  PICTURE  BOOK,  with  38  beautiful  Engra 
vings. 

PETER  PARLEY'S  SPELLING  BOOK,  with  175  Engravings. 

PETER  PARLEY'S  BOOK  OF  FABLES,  with  fine  Cuts. 

PETER  PARLEY'S  EVERY  DAY  BOOK,  60  Engravings. 


JEWETT  PLEADING  FOR  THOMPSON. 


THJL 

CAPTIVE  OF  NOOTKA . 

OR   THE 

ADVENTURES    OF    JOHN    R.  JEWETT, 


PHILADELPHIA: 

HENRY    F.    ANNERS. 

1841. 


Entered,  according  to  act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1835,  by 

J.  P.  PEASLEE, 
In  the  Clerk's  Office  of  the  District  Court  of  the  District  of  New  York. 


PRINTED   BY  T.   K.   &    P.   G.   COLLINS,   PHILA. 


CONTENTS, 


CHAPTER   I. 

Nativity  of  Jewett — his  father's  views — John  goes  to  school — 
his  master — his  studies — he  gives  up  Latin — is  taken  from 
school — is  intended  for  a  surgeon — does  not  like  the  profes 
sion — concludes  to  be  a  blacksmith — his  father  removes  to 
Hull — he  shows  a  taste  for  the  sea  —  resolves  to  be  a 
sailor.  --------  page  13 

CHAPTER   II. 

John  ships  as  armorer — the  ship's  cargo — Mr.  Jewett's  advice — 
John  sails — is  seasick — gets  well — goes  to  work — arrival  and 
stay  at  St.  Catharine's — sails  again  for  Cape  Horn — passes  it 
— music — porpoises.  -----  23 


Tl  CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  III. 

Description  of  a  shoal  of  porpoises — albatrosses  seen — arrival 
at  Nootka  Sound — the  natives  came  on  board — the  Indian 
king  described — intercourse  with  the  safages — their  visits — 
Maquina  breaks  the  gun — Captain  Salter  offends  him — his 
dignified  deportment  when  angry.  -  -  - •  \  -  34 

CHAPTER  IV. 

The  natives  induce  some  of  the  seamen  to  go  on  shore — they 
massacre  the  crew — John's  life  spared — the  ship  is  run  into 
the  cove,  and  stranded — the  savages  welcome  their  king's 
return  to  the  village.  ....  46 

CHAPTER  V. 

John  goes  to  the  king's  house — sees  the  women — gets  ac 
quainted  with  the  young  prince,  Sat-sat-sok-sis — his  supper 
— how  he  passes  the  night — he  learns  that  one  of  the  men  is 
alive  in  the  ship — finds  U  is  Thompson — obtains  permission 
for  him  to  live. 55 


CONTENTS.  Vll 

CHAPTER  VI. 

The  savages  rob  the  ship  of  her  contents,  &c. — John  secures 
the  papers — two  ships  are  seen — other  tribes  of  natives  come 
to  Nootka — their  reception — their  supper,  and  a  dance  by 
Sat-sat — Maquina  makes  presents  to  his  guests — their  manner 
of  receiving  them — visitors  continue  to  come  and  go.  67 

CHAPTER  VII. 

The  ship  is  burnt — many  articles  lost  by  the  fire — some  valua 
ble  things  saved — Maquina  discovers  a  tierce  of  rum  among 
his  spoils — invites  company — holds  a  carousal — all  get  intox 
icated — John  empties  the  rum-cask  upon  the  ground — anec 
dote  of  a  merchant — John  begins  to  work  at  his  trade — he 
assists  Thompson  in  getting  food.  78 

CHAPTER    VIII. 

John's  remarks  about  cooking — Maquina  throws  away  the  ket 
tle  of  salt — John's  head  gets  better — Thompson's  history — 
he  strikes  Sat-sat — an  affray,  in  which  he  is  likely  to  be 
slain — John  pleads  till  the  king  consents  to  his  life  being 
spared — strawberries  appear — John  begins  his  journal.  89 


V11I  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER    IX. 

John's  conduct  towards  the  natives — Thompson's — his  second 
insult  to  a  Tyee — description  of  Nootka — its  buildings — 
Dexter's  images.  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  98 

CHAPTER  X. 

How  they  made  boards  at  Nootka — their  furniture — their 
manner  of  eating — their  feasts — how  they  made  cloth — their 
dress. 109 

CHAPTER    XL 

Description  of  the  Nootkans — their  habit  of  painting  orna 
ments — manner  of  fishing  for  Ife-maw — continuation  of  re 
marks  on  their  personal  decorations,  &c. — nose  jewels.  120 

CHAPTER   XII. 

Of  the  religion — the  government — certain  offices — the  disposi 
tion  of  the  natives — their  oratory — their  diseases,  cures,  &c. 
—the  climate. 130 


CONTENTS.  ^     IX 

CHAPTER  XIII. 

Population  of  Nootka — making  of  canoes — pursuit  of  sea-otters 
— description  of  one — the  Indian's  fish-hook  and  fishing — 
Maquina's  household — instruments  of  music.  -  -  138 

CHAPTER    XIV. 

Different  tribes  of  natives — some  of  their  customs — dressing 
for  a  visit — manner  of  making  a  bargain — lodging  of  the 
visitors — their  arms.  -  -  -  -  -  -  146 

CHAPTER    XV. 

Place  of  retirement  for  worship — its  scenery — the  Sabbath — a 
ship  seen — a  thunder  storm — hard  fare — arts  of  other  natives 
— a  young  girl  tries  to  win  John — the  Nootkans  remove  to 
winter  quarters — the  place. 155 

CHAPTER    XVI. 

The  scene  of  departure — conveyance  of  their  infants — an  anec 
dote  of  St.  John's  Indians — passage  to  Tashees — arrival  and 
business  there — manner  of  taking  roe  fish,  &c. — how  they 
were  cured  and  cooked — John's  condition.  -  -  165 


X  CONTENTS. 

-^ 

CHAPTER   XVII. 

John  forbidden  to  write — a  new  dress  made  for  the  king — ha 
accounts  for  having  killed  the  crew — the  yama — taking  the 
bear — singular  ceremony — an  annual  thanksgiving.  -  175 

CHAPTER   XVIII. 

Conclusion  of  the  thanksgiving — Christmas  kept  by  the  cap 
tives — removal  to  Cooptee — visit  to  the  Aitizzarts— feast  at 
Cooptee — false  stories  of  ships — return  to  Nootka — death  of 
a  boy — insanity  of  a  chief.  -  -  -  *  *  187 

CHAPTER    XIX. 

Maquina  goes  a  whaling — bringing  in  the  whale — death  and 
burial  service  of  the  crazy  chief — the  king's  jester^a  mutiny 
feared — a  conspiracy — Thompson  kills  an  Indian.  -  198 

CHAPTER  XX. 

John  is  ordered  to  make  arms — the  king  declares  his  intention 
to  go  to  war — expedition  to  Ay  charts — attack  and  slaughter 
of  the  inhabitants — return  to  Tashees — John  is  told  he  must 
marry — going  to  select  a  wife — making  choice  of  one.  210 


CONTENTS.  ja. 

CHAPTER    XXI. 

Marriage  ceremony — return  to  Tashees — John  goes  to  house 
keeping — is  told  he  must  change  his  dress — religious  obser 
vance— -revenge  of  a  husband  towards  his  wife— removal  to 
Cooptee — taking  wild  geese — return  to  Nootka — John  is  sick 
— a  slave  dies.  -  ...»  <j|9 

CHAPTER   XXII. 

John  continues  sick — he  is  divorced  from  his  wife — she  goes 
to  her  father — John  recovers — an  eclipse  of  the  moon — a 
vessel  arrives — consultation  about  the  captives-  a  letter 
written  to  be  carried  by  Maquina  to  the  vessel.  228 

CHAPTER   XXIII. 

Maquina  questions  John — He  lakes  the  letter — is  detained  in 
irons  on  board  the  brig — rage  and  grief  of  the  natives — - 
Thompson  is  sent  to  the  vessel — John  is  also  carried  out — 
his  arrival  at  the  brig — account  of  the  brig — how  she  came 
there — demand  of  the  things  belonging  to  the  Boston.  238 


Xll  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER   XXIV. 

The  things  belonging  to  the  Boston  brought  out — Maquina 
takes  his  leave  of  John — death  of  a  young  Chief— return  of 
the  vessel  to  Nootka,  from  the  northward — Maquina  visits 
her  with  skins — voyage  to  China — John  hears  from  home 
by  an  Englishman— comes  to  Boston — finds  a  letter  from  his 
mother — concluding  remarks.  -  250 


OF   NOOTKA. 


CHAPTER  I. 

Nativity  of  Jewitt — his  father's  views — John  goes  to  school — 
his  master — his  studies — he  gives  up  Latin — is  taken  from 
school — is  intended  for  a  surgeon — does  not  like  the  profes 
sion — concludes  to  be  a  blacksmith — his  father  removes  to 
Hull — he  shows  a  taste  for  the  sea — resolves  to  be  a  sailor. 

JOHN  R.  JEWITT  was  born  in  Boston,  England, 
on  the  21st  of  May,  1783.  His  father  was  an 
industrious  and  respectable  blacksmith,  who,  while 
he  was  shaping  and  moulding  the  iron  on  the  anvil, 
did  not  forget  that  he  had  the  minds  of  his  children 
to  shape  and  prepare  for  still  more  important  pur 
poses. 

He  knew  that  the  iron,  when  it  had  fulfilled  the 
end  for  which  he  was  fitting  it,  must  rust  and  crum- 


14  CAPTIVE   OF    NOOTKA. 

ble  away.     But  he  fel^that  the  immortal  minds  of 
his  offspring,  however,  they  miaJ^J^suffered  t( 
rust  here,  must  carry  the'e$efl|HK^rlect  intol 
sternity.  ; 

His  wife  died  when  his  children  g£ere\ery  young, 
*nd  the  important  part  of  bending  the  twig  in  a 
right  direction,  so  as  to  make  it  grow  to  a  goodly 
tree,  devolved  on  his  parental  care,  alone. 

As  a  good  and  wise  father,  he  sought  to  make 
^arly  moral  and  religious  impressions,  while  the 
minds  of  his  little  charge  were  young  and  tender ; 
and  knowing  that  theory,  to  be  of  any  use,  must 
be  wedded  to  practice,  he  made  his  own  example 
an  illustration  of  his  teaching. 

With  his  truly  blacksmith  motto,  '  strike  while 
the  iron  is  hot,'  he  felt  that  the  most  important  bent 
of  the  never-dying  soul,  for  its  happiness  here,  as 
well  as  hereafter,  must  be  made  in  an  early  state, 
while  it  was  soft  and  warm,  and  that,  in  doing  this, 
there  was  no  time  to  be  lost. 

His  eldest  son  he  intended  for  his  own  profes 
sion  ;  but  our  hero,  John,  not  being  of  so  robust  a 


CAPTIVE   OF   NOOTKA.  15 

constitution  as  his  brother,  to  enable  him  to  stand 
before  the  furnace,  and  wield  the  hammer,  was  de 
stined  to  the  less  laborious,  though  not  less  trying 
and  painful  office  of  a  surgeon. 

John  was,  therefore,  at  the  age  of  twelve  years, 
sent  from  home,  for  the  advantage  of  better  school 
ing  than  could  be  obtained  in  his  native  town,  and 
placed  under  the  care  of  a  Mr.  Moses,  at  Donning- 
ton,  about  twenty  miles  from  his  own  place  of 
residence. 

Whether  Mr.  Moses  was,  or  was  not,  a  lineal 
descendant  of  the  Jewish  lawgiver,  whose  name 
lie  bore,  I  am  not  able  to  say. 

But  he  was  a  very  good  lawgiver  in  his  own 
dominions,  and  preserved  excellent  order  in  the 
academy  over  which  he  was  set  as  head,  to  '  teach 
the  young  idea  how  to  shoot.' 

He  taught  John  R.  Jewitt's  ideas  to  shoot  into 
arithmetic,  surveying,  navigation,  English  gram 
mar,  &c. ;  but  into  Latin^  John  did  not  much  like 
to  have  his  master  direct  them. 


16  CAPTIVE   OF   NOOTKA. 

He  had  a  natural  impediment  in  his  speech,  thai 
troubled  and  embarrassed  him  in  scanning  Latin ; 
and  concluding  that  his  tongue  was  never  made  for 
the  purpose,  he  gave  it  up,  altogether,  when  he  had 
obtained  his  father's  consent  to  his  so  doing. 

It  is  most  probable,  however,  that  John  had  in 
his  .mind,  a  greater  impediment  to  learning  the 
dead  language,  than  any  in  his  articulation.  He 
did  not  love  the  Latin ;  but  he  could  amuse  his 
friends,  whole  evenings  together,  by  singing  to 
them,  and  this  he  often  did,  having  a  fine,  pleasant 
voice,  and  a  great  taste  for  music. 

Two  years  passed  off  very  pleasantly  with  him, 
at  Donnington;  for  he  loved  his  master,  Moses; 
and  the  master  was  attached  to  his  pupil; — his 
father  came  often  to  see  him — he  had  many  friends, 
school-fellows,  and  relatives  there;  and,  in  short, 
he  has  since  declared  the  two  years  he  spent  at  this 
school,  to  be  the  happiest  period  of  his  life.  | 

At  length,  the  time  arrived,  when  his  father, 
thinking  it  proper  for  him  to  begin  his  apprentice- 


CAPTIVE    OF    NOOTKA.  17 

ship,  and  the  study  of  the  profession  he  was  to  pur 
sue,  took  him  from  school,  with  the  view  of  putting 
him  under  the  tuition  of  an  eminent  surgeon,  fron 
whom,  he  had  reason  to  believe,  that  his  youngest 
son  would  acquire  as  much  skill  at  the  lancet  and 
the  probe,  as  his  elder  one  would,  from  himself,  at 
the  bellows  and  the  forge. 

But,  as  a  proof  of  what  I  have  just  said  about 
early  impressions  and  inclinations  being  the  stron 
gest  and  most  lasting,  John's  mind  revolted  at  the 
undertaking  of  a  surgical  profession,  and  his  feel 
ings  all  bore  him,  like  a  mighty  current,  towards 
his  father's  anvil. 

He  had,  from  his  infancy,  been  fond  of  going 
into  the  shop  and  amusing  himself,  among  tho 
workmen,  by  imitating,  as  far  as  he  was  able,  their 
motions ;  and  he  longed  to  accomplish  such  work 
as  he  saw  them  do. 

This  taste  and  disposition  now  returned  upon 
him  with  such  force,  that  he  became  unhappy  at 
the  thought  of  not  pursuing  his  father's  business, 
2  B 


18  CAPTIVE   OF   NOOTKA. 

and  he  said  so  much,  and  evinced  such  an  aversion 
to  any  other  line  of  life,  that  he  finally  succeeded 
in  gaming  permission  to  go  to  the  work  of  a  black 
smith,  in  his  father's  shop. 

But,  it  will  hereafter  appear,  that,  had  he  yield 
ed  implicitly  to  the  first  wish  and  design  of  his 
good  parent,  and  brought  his  own  will  and  inclina 
tion  into  subjection  to  his,  who  knew  better  than 
he  did,  what  was  best  for  him,  he  would  have  es 
caped  the  danger  and  sufferings,  to  which,  making 
choice  of  a  profession  for  himself,  paved  the  way. 

His  father  had  now  married  again,  and  his  step 
mother  was  an  excellent  woman,  which,  added  to 
the  other  charms  of  the  paternal  establishment, 
made  his  life  very  happy. 

About  a  year  after  his  removal  from  school,  his 
father  removed  to  Hull,  which  being  one  of  the 
best  ports  in  England,  and  a  place  of  much  trade, 
offered  great  advantages  to  one  of  his  business. 

At  Hull,  Mr.  Jewitt  had  a  great  deal  to  do  about 
the  iron- work  of  the  shipping,  which  not  only  led 


CAPTIVE   OF    NOOTKA.  19 

him  often  to  the  vessels,  where  John  liked  exceed- 
ly  well  to  accompany  him,  but,  also,  brought  many 
seamen  to  his  shop  and  his  house. 

Among  his  customers  at  Hull,  were  many  of  the 
Americans,  who  frequented  the  port,  and  whose 
conversation  and  characters  pleased  Mr.  Jewitt  so 
much,  that  he  often  sought  and  cultivated  an  ac 
quaintance  with  them,  which  his  business  alone 
would  not  have  demanded. 

John  loved  to  listen  to  the  stories  of  the  sailors ; 
and  their  merry-making  accounts  of  the  adventures 
they  had  met  with,  kindled  in  his  young  mind  a 
strong  desire  to  go  to  sea,  and  see  the  world  too. 

He  read  i  Cook's  Voyages,'  and  many  other 
voyages,  till  at  last,  he  began  to  feel,  that,  to  cir 
cumnavigate  the  globe,  were  a  thing  far  easier  for 
him,  than  to  stay  on  it,  and  not  do  this ;  and  his 
thoughts  whirled  round  it,  much  faster  than  the 
earth  whirls  upon  her  axis  ;  while  he  came,  in  his 
own  mind,  to  the  conclusion,  that,  it  was  for  this 
very  purpose,  that  his  good  master  Moses  had 


20  CAPTIVE  OF    NOOTKA. 

been  turning  his  attention  to  the  study  of  naviga 
tion. 

He  had,  like  many  other  boys,  who  get  on  tiptoe 
to  see  the  world,  a  thousand  gay  dreams  of  other 
nations  and  other  realms ;  and  happy  had  it  been 
for  him,  as  it  would  be  for  them,  had  all  ended  in 
dreams. 

But  John  R.  Jewitt  proved,  as  hundreds  of  others 
have  done,  that,  sailing  from  port  to  port,  by  the 
help  of  a  book,  on  one's  pillow,  or  snugly  lodged 
in  the  window  recess,  or  the  rocking-chair,  is  a 
very  different  affair,  from  climbing  the  shrouds  in 
the  tempest — or  when  the  icicles  jingle  at  his  ears, 
from  the  frozen  rigging. 

Well,  John  had  lived  four  years  with  his  father, 
at  Hull,  when,  in  the  summer  of  1802,  the  Ameri 
can  ship  Boston,  of  Boston,  Massachusetts,  arrived. 

Her  owners,  Messrs.  F.  &  T.  Amory,  had  des 
tined  her  to  take  in,  at  Hull,  a  cargo  of  such  goods 
as  should  be  suitable  for  a  trade  with  the  Indians, 
on  the  North-west  coast  of  America,  to  which  place 


CAPTIVE    OF    NOOTKA.  £1 

she  was  to  proceed,  to  exchange  her  cargo  for  one 
of  furs  and  skins ;  then  she  was  to  depart  for 
China,  for  another  traffic,  and  thence  for  home. 

At  Hull,  the  ship  needed  repairs  of  so  extensive 
a  kind,  as  to  detain  her  long  enough  for  Mr.  Jewitt 
and.  his'  family  to  -become  well  acquainted  with 
Captain  Salter",  her.  commander,  her  officers,  and 
men. 

Captain  Salter  and  the  mates  used  to  pass  many 
evenings  at  Mr.  Jewitt's  house;  and  John,  who 
never  lacked  ears,  when  such  visitors  were  present, 
took  it  .upon  himself  to  do  much  to  entertain  them, 
and  greatly  won  their  favor. 

Captain  Salter  asked  him  one.  .day,  in  a  jocose 
manner,  if  he  would  like  to  go  to  sea  with  him. 

The  question  was,  to  our  young  hero's  imagina 
tion,  like  the  spark  that  falls  from  the  flint  into  the 
tinder-box,  and  he  began  to  think  that  the  time  had 
really  come  when  he  was  to  see  the  world.  Cap 
tain  Salter  saw  that  John  was  serious,  and  he  began 
to  be  serious  himself,  and  spoke  to  Mr.  Jewitt  on 
the  subject. 


22  CAPTIVE   OF  NOOTKA. 

He  really  felt  a  deep  interest  in  the  young  man, 
and  told  Mr.  Jewitt  what  a  fine  opportunity  it 
would  be  for  his  son,  to  make  the  voyage  to  China, 
and  then  to  return  with  him  to  the  United  States, 
where  he  might  do,  probably,  better  for  himself, 
than  he  could  by  remaining  in  England,  &c.  &c. : 
till  it  was  finally  agreed  that  John  should  ship  as 
armorer,  on  board  the  Boston,  and  thus  take  his 
first  voyage. 


23 


CHAPTER    II. 

John  ships  as  armorer — the  ship's  cargo — Mr.  Jewitt's  advice — 
John  sails — zs  seasick — gets  well — goes  to  work — arrival  and 
stay  at  St.  Catharine's — sails  again  for  Cape  Horn — passes 
it — music — porpoises . 

JOHN  was  a  very  ingenious  youth  and  he  was 
well  skilled  in  his  profession.  He  understood  the 
business  he  undertook  as  armorer,  perfectly,  and  no 
one  could  outdo  him  in  giving  polish  and  edge  to 
the  steel  blade,  or  make  a  smoother  gun-barrel. 

His  locks  snapped  well ;  and  he  fancied  that  all 
his  plans  would  go  oif  as  readily  and  successfully 
as  his  muskets.  He  thought  the  one  now  on  foot, 
was  to  hit  the  mark  exactly ;  and  that  he  had  not 
been  so  long  aiming  in  vain,  at  seeing  other  parts 
of  the  world. 

It  was  agreed  that  he  should  have  for  his  wages, 
thirty  dollars  a  month;  and  his  father  put  into  the 


24  CAPTIVE   OF   NOOTKA. 

hands  of  Captain  Salter,  a  certain  sum  of  money, 
which,  added  to  what  should  be  due  for  his  service, 
was  to  be  laid  out  in  furs,  at  the  North-west  coast, 
and  these  exchanged,  when  the  ship  should  arrire 
at  China,  for  such  goods  as  would  turn  to  profit 
when  she  returned  to  America. 

Such  was  the  plan  laid  for  John  to  begin  the 
world  for  himself.  But,  as  many  a  tree  will  put 
foith  fair  leaves  and  blossoms,  and  yet  yield  no 
fruit,  so  it  turned  out  with  the  promises  of  John's 
making  his  fortune  at  a  jump. 

You  have  all,  my  young  readers,  heard  the  an 
ecdote  of  the  poultry-girl,  who,  with  her  basket  of 
eggs  on  her  head,  had  her  brain  filled  with  the  profit 
she  should  make  on  them,  when  they  should  become 
so  many  chickens;  and  anticipating  the  pleasure 
she  should  take  in  wearing  the  green  gown,  that 
was  to  be  bought,  when  these  chickens  should  be 
full  grown  and  carried  to  market,  gave  her  head  a 
toss  and  her  basket  a  fall. 

You  remember  how  all  her  hopes  were  then  dashed 
with  the  contents  of  the  broken  egg-shells,  on  the 


CAPTIVE   OF    NOOTKA.  25 

pavement;  which  gives  rise  to  the  proverb  of 
1  counting  the  chickens  before  they  are  hatched.' 

Thus  it  proved  with  John.  His  hopes  were  soon 
crushed ! 

He  set  out,  however,  with  fair  prospects,  with 
good  advice,  and  in  good  company.  Everything 
that  could  conduce  to  his  convenience  and  comfort, 
was  prepared  by  his  excellent  father ;  who  had  an 
iron  forge  erected  for  him,  on  the  deck  of  the  ship, 
and  a  vice-bench  put  in  one  corner  of  the  steerage, 
so  that,  in  bad  weather,  he  might  work  below. 

The  ship's  cargo  consisted  of  English  cloths, 
Dutch  blankets,  looking-glasses,  beads,  knives, 
razors,  &c.,  with  sugar,  molasses,  twenty  hogs 
heads  of  rum,  a  great  quantity  of  ammunition, 
pistols,  cutlasses,  and  three  thousand  muskets  and 
fowling-pieces. 

All  was  now  ready  for  sea  ;  and  when  John  had 
taken  leave  of  all  his  other  friends,  his  father  went 
with  him  to  the  vessel,  where,  a  moment  before  she 
sailed,  he  took  him  aside,  and  gave  him,  with  deep 
emotion,  the  following  excellent  advice,  which  it 
C 


26  CAPTIVE  OF  NOOTKA. 

may  be  well  for  many  a  youth,  not  so  old  as  John, 
to  bear  in  mind,  for  he  was  now  about  nineteen. 

'  We  now,  my  son,  are  going  to  part,  and  He 
only,  to  whom  all  things  are  known,  knows  if  we 
are  ever  to  meet  again  in  this  world.  But,  in  what 
ever  part  of  the  world  your  lot  may  be  cast,  bear 
it  ever  in  mind,  that  on  your  own  conduct  alone, 
depends  your  success  in  life  and  your  peace  in 
death. 

1  Be  honest,  industrious,  frugal,  and  temperate. 
Let  the  Bible  be  your  guide ;  and  rely  on  its  Author 
as  your  first  and  best  friend.  Then,  whatever  may 
befall  you,  you  will  have  for  your  support  in  every 
trial,  the  consoling  thought,  that  your  dependence 
is  on  one  who  can  bring  good  out  of  evil,  and  who 
never  deserts  those  who  put  their  trust  in  him. 

1  In  short,  my  son,  make  it  your  determination  to 
lead  an  honest  and  a  Christian  life  ;  and  remember 
that  when  your  place  is  found  empty  at  our  table, 
it  will  not  be  so  in  our  hearts ;  and  that  our  first 
wish  will  be  to  hear  from  you. 

'  And  now  may  the  blessing  of  Him,  who  "  holds 


CAPTIVE   OF   NOOTKA.  27 

the  winds  in  his  fists,"  and  the  "ocean  in  the  hollow 
of  his  hand,"  be  upon  you  !' 

It  was  on  the  3d  of  September,  1802,  that,  in 
company  with  several  other  American  vessels, 
bound  to  different  ports,  the  Boston  sailed  from  the 
Downs,  with  a  serene,  blue  sky  above,  a  peaceful 
sea  below,  and  her  white  sails  swelled  with  a  frc-oh 
and  favorable  breeze. 

As  the  vessel  went  on  her  watery  way,  and  the 
billows  gave  her  alternately  a  heave  and  a  plunge, 
the  head  of  our- young  hero,  who  had  never  been 
out  of  sight  of  the  land  before,  began  to  turn  and 
to  swim,  till  he  was  fully  convinced  that  the  world 
must  be  as  round  as  a  bullet,  but  without  the  leaden 
propensity  to  lie  still  where  it  was  placed. 

He  was  visited  with  a  sudden  loss  of  appetite — 
his  cheeks  and  his  lips  grew  pale  as  the  canvass 
about  him ;  and  his  stomach  sympathized  in  the 
motion  of  the  waves.  He  was,  for  several  of  the 
first  days,  prostrated  in  the  full  enjoyment  of  the 
unenviable  and  unpitied  condition,  into  which  sea 
sickness  brings  its  subject. 


BOSTON  SAILS  FROM  THE  DOWNS. 


CAPTIVE    OF   NOOTKA.  29 

But  in  a  few  days,  John  recovered  from  this 
malady — his  appetite  returned — his  color  returned 
— his  head  became  steady,  and  he  stood  up  on  his 
feet  again,  like  a  man. 

As  he  did  this,  he  looked  behind,  but  saw  noth 
ing  of  the  shores  of  old  England ;  he  looked  before, 
but  the  sky  and  the  sea  were  all  that  met  his  eye ; 
so  he  turned  for  occupation  to  his  forge. 

With  good  health  and  spirits,  he  went  to  work, 
and  employed  himself  in  fair  weather,  making 
knives,  daggers,  and  small  hatchets  for  the  Indian 
trade.  When  it  stormed,  he  went  below,  and  busi 
ed  himself  in  filing  and  polishing  them. 

He  liked,  however,  to  lend  a  hand  now  and  then, 
when  the  men  were  managing  the  rigging,  so  as  to 
get  a  little  initiated  into  the  business  of  a  sailor. 
And  he  loved,  when  his  day's  work  was  done,  to 
look  round  on  the  mighty  scene  of  the  heavens  and 
the  deep,  till  his  mind  was  lost  in  contemplating 
the  greatness  and  the  power  of  their  Creator  and 
Sustainer. 

John   found   great   comfort    in    reflecting    that, 


30  CAPTIVE   OF    NOOTKA. 

though  he  was  far  from  the  house  of  his  earthly 
parent,  the  home  of  his  heavenly  Father  was 
everywhere ;  and  that  his  eye  would  keep  watch 
through  the  darkest  night,  and  his  hand  be  at  the 
helm,  amid  the  most  threatening  seas. 

A  pleasant  sail  of  twenty-nine  days  brought  the 
ship  to  the  Island  of  St.  Catharine,  on  the  coast  of 
Brazil,  where  Captain  Salter  intended  to  stop,  to 
replenish  his  stock  of  wood  and  water,  and  obtain 
fresh  provisions. 

The  island  belonged  to  the  Portuguese,  and  on 
entering  the  port,  the  ship  was  saluted  by  guns 
from  the  fort,  which  compliment  she  returned,  and 
passed  in. 

The  next  day,  she  was  honored  with  a  visit  from 
his  excellency,  the  governor  of  the  island,  and  his 
suite,  and  her  crew  treated  by  them  with  much  re 
spect  and  politeness. 

At  this  island,  the  Boston  remained  four  days  ; 
and  the  men  found .  it  a  very  good  stopping- 
place,  for  a  purpose  like  theirs,  as  it  abounds  with 


CAPTIVE   OF   NOOTKA.  31 

springs  of  sweet,  clear  water,  and  with  fine  oranges, 
plantains,  bananas,  &c. 

They  took  in  such  supplies  as  to  render  it  unne 
cessary  for  them  to  stop  at  any  of  the  Sandwich 
Islands,  and  put  to  sea. 

On  the  twenty-fifth  of  December,  they  passed 
Cape  Horn,  which  they  had  made  thirty-six  days 
before,  but  had  been  repeatedly  driven  back  by  ad 
verse  winds ;  the  weather  being  extremely  tempest 
uous  while  they  were  doubling,  or  passing  round 
the  cape. 

When  they  had  gained  this  point,  all  seemed 
smooth  again.  The  weather  was  fine  ;  and  taking 
advantage  of  the  monsoon,  or  trade-wind,  they 
went  on  with  the  greatest  ease,  having,  for  the 
space  of  a  fortnight,  hardly  to  make  a  tack,  or  reef 
a  top-sail. 

Captain  Salter  was  an  old  experienced  India 
ship-master,  who  knew  how  to  keep  good  order 
among  his  men,  without  their  being  constantly  at 
work ;  and  when  their  situation  did  not  require  this, 
he  loved  to  see  them  enjoy  themselves,  as  they  now 


32  CAPTIVE   OF    NOOTKA. 

had  an  opportunity  of  doing,  till  John  began  to 
think  a  sailor's  life  was  a  pretty  easy  and  merry 
one. 

There  was  a  fine  musical  band  on  board,  and 
during  the  serene,  pleasant  evenings  they  had  while 
making  their  way  on  the  Southern  ocean,  Captain 
Salter  used  to  order  them  to  play  for  the  entertain 
ment  of  the  crew. 

This  was  a  treat  he  was  very  fond  of  giving 
them  on  Saturday  nights,  as  a  sort  of  a  welcome  to 
the  coming  Sabbath. 

Music  at  such  an  hour,  and  in  such  a  scene,  must 
have  sounded  delightfully,  while  the  waters  gur 
gled  round  the  prow  of  the  ship,  and  the  ocean's 
hoarse  voice  sang  bass,  in  the  distance. 

Now  and  then  a  whale  or  a  flying-fish  would  let 
itself  be  seen  above  the  surface  of  the  water ;  but 
whether  it  was  to  listen  to  the  music,  or  not,  it  has 
not  yet  been  ascertained — the  reader  will  be  able 
to  judge  of  the  probability  of  this. 

They   saw,  also,    frequent   shoals  of  porpoises. 


CAPTIVE   OF   NOOTKA.  33 

corning  towards  the  ship;  the  purpose  or  business 
of  which,  I  believe  was  not  then,  nor  ever  has  been 
clearly  understood ;  but  of  their  appearance  I  will 
speak  in  the  next  chapter. 
3 


34 


CHAPTER    III. 

Description  of  a  shoal  of  porpoises — albatrosses  seen — arri 
val  at  Nootka  Sound — the  natives  came  on  board — the 
Indian  king  described — intercourse  with  the  savages — 
their  visits — Maquana  breaks  the  gun — Captain  Salter 
offends  him — his  dignified  deportment  when  angry. 

A  SHOAL  of  porpoises  was  to  John  R.  Jewitt  a 
very  novel  and  interesting  sight.  They  looked  at 
a  distance  like  a  multitude  of  small  black  waves, 
rolling  one  over  the  other,  in  great  confusion  and 
very  quick  motion. 

As  they  came  gamboling  along  towards  the  ves 
sel  in  this  way,  all  on  board  was  in  a  bustle.  Eve 
ry  hand  was  busy  to  get  the  harpoons  ready  to 
strike ;  and  those  who  were  the  most  skilful,  took 
the  most  favorable  stands,  to  make  the  deadly 
thrust,  as  the  unsuspecting  porpoises  sported  beside 
the  ship. 

The  porpoise,  or  sea-hog,  when  struck  and  drawn 


CAPTIVE    OF   NOOTKA.  35 

on  board  by  the  harpoon,  utters  most  piteous  cries, 
resembling  those  of  an  infant,  till  it  dies.  It  was 
very  shocking  to  John,  to  hear  these  sounds  of  dis 
tress,  when  the  first  victim  was  taken. 

The  sailors  afterwards  told  him  that,  if  one  of 
these  animals  received  a  wound,  without  being 
taken,  all  the  others  in  the  troop,  attracted  by  his 
blood,  would  leave  the  vessel  and  chase  him  till 
they  should  overtake  him,  and  then  tear  him  to 
pieces  and  devour  him. 

Our  young  mariner  found  the  flesh  of  the  por 
poise  a  very  palatable  dish,  after  being  so  long  as 
he  had 'been,  without  any  thing  fresh;  and  when 
cut  into  steaks  and  broiled,  he  thought  its  taste  re 
sembled  that  of  beef  done  in  the  same  way. 

He  saw  on  his  passage,  a  great  number  of  alba 
trosses,  one  of  which  Captain  Salter  shot,  and 
measuring  his  extended  wings,  from  one  extremity 
to  the  other,  found  that  they  measured  fifteen  feet. 
The  albatross  is  a  large  bird  of  the  goose  tribe, 
whose  feathers  are  brown  and  white. 

Pursuing  a  northward  course,  after  passing  Cape 


3(J  CA11IVE   OF   NOOTKA. 

Horn,  the  nhip  arrived,  on  the  12th  of  March,  1803, 
at  Woody  Point,  in  Nt/otka  Sound,  on  the  North 
west  coast  of  America. 

Captain  Salter  made  up  the  sound  towards  Noot- 
ka,  a  few  miles  north  of  the  Indian  town,  on  the 
land  bordering  the  sound,  in  order  to  get  supplies 
of  wood  and  water,  before  he  proceeded  up  the  coast 
for  trade. 

He  wished  to  avoid  being  seen,  so  as  to  escape 
molestation  from  the  Indians  of  the  village,  which 
was  situated  on  Friendly  rove. 

When  some  of  the  men,  who  fook  the  boat  and 
went  out  to  sound  for  a  good  anchoring  place,  re 
turned,  they  said  they  had  found  one,  near  a  small 
island,  which  was  well  protected  from  the  sea,  and 
had  plenty  of  wood  and  water ;  and  which  lay  about 
half  a  mile  from  the  coast. 

Accordingly,  the  ship  drew  up  to  this  place,  and 
was  anchored ;  though  not  without  being  observed 
by  the  natives. 

The  next  morning  an  Indian  canoe  was  seen 
from  the  ship,  gliding  along  towards  it,  manned 


ARRIVAL  OF  THE  SHIP  AT  NOOTKA  SOUND. 


38  CAPTIVE    OF    NOOTKA. 

with  a  number  of  savages,  who  paddled  their  way  up 
to  the  Boston,  and  came  on  board. 

It  was  the  king  of  the  place,  with  his  savage 
retinue;  and  an  odd  king,  indeed,  did  he  seem  to 
John  R.  Jevvitt,  who  knew  what  splendor  and  pomp 
surrounded  his  own  king  in  England. 

The  name  of  the  monarch  of  Nootka  was 
Maquina  ;  whose  Indian  majesty,  as  he  stood  up  in 
all  his  dignity,  on  the  deck  of  the  ship,  might  thus  be 
described : 

His  person,  about  six  feet  in  height,  was  straight 
and  well  formed ;  his  face  of  the  copper  complex 
ion,  with  good  features  and  expression,  but  marked 
with  what  is  not  common  among  these  people,  a 
fine  Roman  nose.  But  his  face,  arms,  and  legs 
were,  on  this  occasion,  so  disguised  by  paint,  as 
almost  to  prevent  their  natural  color  from  being 
seen. 

Over  each  eyebrow  was  drawn  a  heavy  black 
line,  lil^e  a  crescent,  and  his  hair,  long  and  black, 
was  drawn  up  and  tied  in  a  bunch  on  the  top  of  his 
head.  It  was  oiled  so  as  to  shine,  and  then,  strew- 


CAPTIVE    OF   NOOTKA.  39 

ed  over  with  a  fine  white  down,  which  gave  it 
the  appearance  of  being  half  covered  with  snow- 
flakes. 

His  dress  was  a  cloak  of  black  sea-otter  skin, 
which  reached  to  his  knees;  and  was  fastened  about 
the  waist  with  a  girdle  of  the  cloth  of  the  country, 
painted  with  various  colors,  and  in  a  diversity  of 
figures. 

This  cloth  is  made  of  the  bark  of  a  tree,  and 
somewhat  resembles  straw-matting. 

Maquina's  attendants  had  their  dresses  made  of 
it.  The  cloak,  or  mantle  which  they  wore,  was  a 
square  of  this  material,  large  enough  to  reach  to  the 
knee,  and  with  places  cut  in  the  top  for  the  arms  to 
pass  through. 

The  belt,  being  a  strip  of  the  same  cloth,  was 
about  four  inches  wide,  and  whimsically  figured. 

Maquina  had  frequently  visited  the  American 
and  English  vessels  that  came  for  trade  on  the 
coast;  and  if  they  did  not  take  his  furs,  or  if  he 
had  none  to  offer,  the  masters  always  treated  him 
well,  and  generally  gave  him  some  little  presents, 


40  CAPTIVE   OF  NOOTKA. 

which  proved  a  sufficient  inducement  for  him  to  visit 
the  next  vessel  that  came. 

In  this  way  he  had  learnt  to  understand  a  great 
many  English  words  and  expressions ;  and  as  it 
afterwards  proved,  he  knew  much  more  than  Cap 
tain  Salter  dreamed  of,  till  he  found  it  out  at  the  cost 
of  his  life. 

He  took  the  copper-colored  monarch  into  his  ca 
bin,  gave  him  a  glass  of  drink,  and  fed  him  with 
biscuit  and  molasses,  a  treat  that  pleased  him 
highly. 

Both  the  king  and  his  people  seemed  much  gra 
tified  with  the  manner  and  the  hospitality  of  the 
ship's  crew ;  and  after  leaving  them  the  first  day, 
they  returned  the  next,  bringing  with  them  more 
of  the  natives,  and  a  good  supply  of  fine  fresh  sal 
mon,  for  which  they  took  some  trifling  articles  by 
way  of  pay. 

It  was  not  the  intention  of  Captain  Salter  to 
make  his  purchases  at  this  place,  as  there  were  not 
many  furs  to  be  obtained  ;  but  he  wanted  to  get  his 
stock  of  wood  and  water,  so  as  not  to  be  obliged  "o 


CAPTIVE   OF    NOOTKA.  41 

expose  his  men  for  these  necessaries  when  they 
should  be  farther  north,  and  among,  what  he  con 
sidered,  more  barbarous  tribes  than  the  savages  of 
Nootka. 

While  the  hands  were  employed  in  laying  in 
these  provisions,  John,  the  armorer,  busied  himself 
in  repairing  muskets,  making  tomahawks,  knives, 
<fcc.  and  in  doing  such  iron  work  as  was  needed  on 
the  ship. 

Meantime,  Maquina  and  his  people  kept  up  their 
visits,  while  Captain  Salter,  in  order  to  prove  that 
they  had  no  hostile  purposes,  insisted  that  each 
should  throw  off  his  dress  before  he  came  on  board, 
to  satisfy  him  by  showing  that  they  had  no  arms 
concealed. 

On  the  fifteenth,  Maquina,  attended  by  several 
of  his  chiefs,  came  on  board.  He  was  arrayed  in 
his  royal  attire  of  otter-skin,  and  had  his  head 
newly  powdered  with  white  down ;  his  face  was 
painted  with  more  than  ordinary  care,  and  almost 
covered  with  the  ingredients  he  had  used  in  beau 
tifying  it. 


42  CAPTIVE    OF    NOOTKA. 

His  chiefs  were  clad  in  the  cloth  of  their  coun 
try,  of  its  original  color,  which  is  pale  yellow. 
Their  girdles  were  similar  to  that  of  the  king,  only 
not  so  wide. 

Around  the  bottoms  of  their  cloaks  were  painted 
borders,  representing,  in  various  colors,  the  heads  of 
men  and  beasts,  birds,  and  fishes. 

The  dress  of  the  common  people  was  like  that 
of  the  chiefs,  only  the  cloth  was  coarser,  and  they 
were  not  allowed  to  paint  with  more  than  one  color, 
this  being  red. 

Captain  Salter  invited  them  to  dine  with  him,  and 
his  invitation  was  accepted.  It  was  a  great  source 
of  amusement  to  John,  to  see  his  copper-colored 
eminence,  the  king,  and  all  the  savage  nobles,  seat 
themselves  and  eat  their  dinner. 

Their  manner  of  sitting  was  similar  to  that  of 
the  Chinese.  They  crossed  their  legs  and  sat  upon 
them;  while  they  made  their  meal  on  ship-bread 
dipped  in  molasses,  which  was  the  only  thing  they 
would  eat,  They  manifested  a  great  aversion  to 
every  thing  that  tasted  in  the  least  of  salt. 


CAPTIVE    OF   NOOTKA.  43 

They  appeared  to  enjoy  their  entertainment,  and 
retired  very  pleasantly;  the  few  following-  days, 
they  kept  up  their  trade ;  bringing  the  fresh  sal 
mon,  and  seemed  satisfied  with  what  they  received 
in  return  for  what  was  a  great  luxury  to  the  seamen 
after  living  on  salt  provisions,  as  they  had  done,  for 
some  time. 

About  the  nineteenth  of  the  month,  Maquina 
came  on  board  the  ship,  and  dined  again.  He 
talked  a  great  deal  with  Captain  Salter,  and  told 
him  there  were  a  great  many  wild  ducks  and  geese 
near  Friendly  Cove. 

Captain  Salter  gave  him,  upon  this  information, 
a  fine  double-barreled  fowling-piece,  with  which  he 
seemed  greatly  delighted,  and  went  away. 

The  next  day  he  came  again  on  board,  bringing 
with  him  nine  pair  of  wild  ducks,  as  a  present  to  the 
Captain. 

He  also  brought  his  new  gun  that  he  had  receiv 
ed  the  day  before,  with  one  of  the  locks  broken, 
which  he  showed  to  Captain  Salter,  telling  him  it 
was  peshak,  (bad.) 


44  CAPTIVE   OF   NOOTKA. 

Captain  Salter  at  this  remark,  which  he  thought 
a  token  of  his  gift  being  undervalued,  and  feeling 
irritated  at  seeing  it  so  ill  used  too,  showed  signs 
of  anger,  and  not  knowing  the  extent  of  Maquina's 
understanding  of  the  English,  called  him  a  liar, 
and  told  John  to  see  how  that  fellow  had  ruined  the 
beautiful  fowling-piece.  'See,'  said  he,  '  if  you  can 
mend  it.J 

The  scene  that  now  appeared  on  the  deck,  when 
described,  speaks  a  loud  moral.  Captain  Salter  was 
in  anger,  and  showed  it,  little  dreaming  of  the  bitter 
consequences  that  were  to  follow. 

Maquina  had  understood  him,  and  was  in  anger 
too ;  but  he  was  silent  and  dignified — his  emotions 
only  appeared  in  the  flashes  of  his  keen  black  eye, 
and  by  his  hand  being  rubbed  hard  upon  his  throat, 
and  pressed  on  his  bosom. 

This,  he  afterwards  told  John,  was  to  keep  down 
his  heart,  that  kept  rising  up  in  his  throat,  and 
nearly  choked  him. 

The  offended  Indian  monarch  uttered  not  a  word, 
but  soon  retired  with  his  men,  with  a  haughty 


CAPTIVE    OF   NOOTKA.  45 

air ;  and  probably  feeling  his  breast  burning  with 
stifled  rage,  and  that  unquenchable  fire  of  revenge, 
which  in  the  bosom  of  a  savage  is  one  of  its  most 
dearly  loved  principles,  and  never  goes  out  but  with 
his  vital  spark. 


46 


CHAPTER   IV. 


The,  natives  induce  some  of  the  seamen  to  go  on  shore — they 
massacre  the  crew — John's  life  spared — the  ship  is  rut> 
into  the  cove,  and  stranded — the  savages  welcome  their 
king's  return  to  the  village. 

ON  the  twenty-second,  many  of  the  natives  came 
out  in  the  morning,  as  usual,  to  the  ship,  with  their 
salmon,  where  they  were  joined,  a  few  hours  after, 
by  Maquina,  with  many  of  his  chiefs  and  others. 

The  king  seemed  in  uncommonly  good  humor. 
He  had  over  his  face  a  hideous  wooden  mask,  repre 
senting  the  head  of  some  wild  beast.  In  his  hand 
he  held  a  whistle,  which  he  blew  to  a  kind  of  tune  to 
regulate  the  motions  of  his  people,  as  they  jumped, 
sang,  and  capered  about  on  the  deck,  to  the  great 
amusement  of  the  crew. 

Maquina  asked  Captain  Salter  when  he  was  going 
to  sail.  *  To-morrow,'  was  the  reply. 


CAPTIVE   OF    NOOTKA.  47 

'You  love  salmon — plenty  in  Friendly  Cove — 
why  not  go  catch  some  ?'  said  he.  The  idea  of 
having  some  caught  to  carry  away,  struck  Captain 
Salter  very  pleasantly,  and  he  concluded,  after  din 
ner,  to  send  out  some  men  to  fish. 

The  steward  was  already  on  shore,  at  the  water 
ing-place,  washing  the  Captain's  clothes,  when  nine 
men,  with  the  mate  at  their  head,  took  the  boats 
and  the  seine,  and  went  in  quest  of  salmon. 

The  king  and  his  men  had  remained  on  "board  ; 
and  John  had  gone  to  work,  cleaning  muskets,  at 
his  vice-bench,  in  the  steerage.  When  he  had  been 
below  about  an  hour,  he  heard  the  seamen  hoisting 
in  the  long  boat. 

In  a  few  minutes  after,  he  heard  the  sound  of 
scuffling  and  great  confusion  on  deck ;  and  at 
tempting  to  go  up  to  see  what  was  doing,  he  was 
seized,  just  as  his  head  rose  above  board,  by  the 
hair,  which  one  of  the  natives  caught  hold  of;  but 
the  ribbon  with  which  it  was  tied,  slipping  off  in 
the  hand  of  the  Indian,  let  him  fall  back  into  the 
steerage. 


48  CAPTIVE   OF  NOOTKA. 

Before  he  fell,  however,  he  received  a  blow  on 
the  forehead  by  an  axe  in  the  hand  of  another 
savage,  which  left  a  deep  wound;  and  he  had  time 
to  see  that  the  whole  deck  was  one  appalling  scene 
of  human  slaughter. 

The  blow  and  the  fall  stunned  him  ;  and  he  pro 
bably  lay  some  length  of  time  .senseless,  for  when 
he  came  to  himself,  he  was  covered  with  his  own 
blood,  and  weak  from  its  loss. 

He  felt  as  if  arousing  from  some  hideous  dream 
— the  hatch  had  been  closed,  and  he  was  in  dark 
ness  and  gore — while  the  horrid  yells  and  shouts 
of  triumph  sent  from  the  savages  over  his  head, 
convinced  him  that  they  had  possession  of  the  ship, 
and  that  they  had  done  a  great  work  of  death, 
while  not  a  single  voice  of  one  of  the  seamen  was 
heard  amid  the  wild  sounds  of  barbarous  exulta 
tion. 

When  the  noise  of  singing,  shouting,  and  yelling 
had  a  little  subsided,  Maquina  ordered  the  hatch  to 
be  opened,  and  called,  *  John,  come  up.' 

John  attempted  to  obey,  but  found  himself  almos* 


CAPTIVE   OF   NOOTKA.  49 

unable  to  move,  and  the  eye  over  which  the  gash 
had  been  cut,  was  so  swollen  as  to  be  nearly  clos 
ed  ;  while  the  other  was  half  blinded  by  the  blood 
that  had  flowed  and  fastened  upon  it. 

Maquina  seeing  his  condition,  ordered  his  people 
not  to  injure  him,  but  told  them  to  help  him  up 
and  wash  and  dress  his  wound,  saying,  that  he 
knew  how  to  make  and  mend  their  guns,  and 
would  be  of  great  use  to  them,  if  preserved  alive 
and  unhurt. 

This,  John  afterwards  found,  had  been  the  cause 
of  Maquina' s  ordering  the  hatch  to  be  closed,  dur 
ing  the  dreadful  scene  that  had  taken  place,  so  that 
he  might  not  be  numbered  among  the  victims  to 
the  revenge  of  the  Indians,  as  he  intended  his  life 
should  turn  to  their  account,  by  keeping  him  a  pri 
soner,  to  make  arms,  &c.,  for  the  tribe. 

But,  when  Jewitt  first  came  on  deck,  before  his 
wound  was  attended  to,  the  little  sight  that  was 
left  him,  showed  the  blood  of  his  murdered  bre 
thren,  flowing  over  the  boards,  and  the  naked 
4  E 


50  CAPTIVE    OF    NOOTKA. 

savages  gathering  round  him  in  a  circle,  with  their 
knives  and  daggers  up,  ready  to  strike. 

They  all  united  their  clamorous  voices,  to  have 
him  despatched,  so  that  there  might  be  none  left  to 
tell  the  tale,  whenever  another  vessel  should  come 
on  their  borders. 

But  the  king  would  not  consent  to  his  death,  till 
he  had  first  examined  and  questioned  him  respect 
ing  what  he  would  do,  if  spared. 

In  this  trying  moment,  John  felt,  as  he  has  since 
said,  the  value  of  having  his  Maker  for  a  friend ; 
and  of  having  given  up  his  life  and  all  his  interests 
into  his  Almighty  care. 

Maquina,  wishing  by  his  broken  expressions,  to 
make  John  understand  that  if  he  did  not  consent 
to  his  terms,  he  would  be  put  to  death,  said  to  him, 

'John — I  speak — you  no  say  no — you  say  no, 
daggers  come  !'  He  then  asked  if  he  would  be  his 
slave  for  life;  if  he  would  fight  in  his  battles, 
make  daggers  and  knives,  and  mend  muskets  for 
him ;  and  many  other  similar  questions,  to  all  of 


CAPTIVE   OF    NOOTKA.  51 

which,  John  was  careful  to  answer  in  such  a  way 
as  to  turn  aside  the  dreaded  wrath,  and  obtain  leave 
to  live. 

When  he  had  consented  to  all  these  proposals, 
Maquina  told  him  he  must  now  kiss  his  hands  cind 
feet,  in  token  of  perfect  submission  to  him,  as  his 
future  master  and  sovereign. 

When  John  requested  to  have  a  tobacco  leaf,  of 
which  there  was  plenty  on  board,  bound  on  his 
wound,  having  long  known  its  healing  qualities, 
Maquina  gave  directions  to  have  it  brought,  and 
taking  the  silk  cravat  from  the  neck  of  his  patient, 
bound  on  the  leaf  with  it,  and  fastened  it  round  his 
head. 

The  air  was  very  cold,  and  John  was  without 
his  coat,  which,  together  with  his  bodily  suffering, 
and  the  awful  spectacle  before  him,  made  him 
tremble  like  a  poplar  leaf. 

Maquina  saw  this,  and  going  below,  brought  up 
the  Captain's  great  coat,  and  a  bottle  of  rum,  and 
throwing  the  coat  over  his  shoulders,  and  putting 


52  CAPTIVE   OF    tfOOTKA. 

the  bottle  to  his  mouth,  he  told  him  to  drink,  and 
he  would  not  shiver  so. 

When  John  had  followed  this  prescription,  and 
was  able  to  walk,  the  king  led  him  to  the  quarter 
deck,  where  he  beheld  a  sight  that  chilled  with 
horror,  the  blood  that  was  left  in  his  veins. 

The  trunkless  heads  of  his  unfortunate  com 
rades,  to  the  number  of  twenty-five,  lay  with  their 
ghastly  faces  up,  in  a  row  before  him ;  and  not 
a  sign  of  life  appeared  on  board  the  ship,  except 
in  the  persons  of  these  dreadful  executioners,  and 
his  own  aching  bosom. 

One  of  the  savages  brought  a  head  and  asked 
whose  it  was.  John  told  him  it  was  the  Captain's. 
Then  another  and  another  was  shown,  in  the  same 
way,  till  the  horrid  inspection  of  the  whole  number 
was  gone  through  with,  though  some  of  the  faces 
were  so  disfigured,  as  to  make  it  impossible  for  the 
terrified  survivor  to  tell  to  whom  it  had  belonged. 

The  first  cause  of  this  dreadful  sacrifice  to  re 
venge — the  insult  which  Maquina  felt  he  had 


CAPTIVE    OF   NOOTKA.  53 

received  from  the  Captain,  has  already  appeared  to 
the  reader;  though  the  haughty  red  monarch  did 
not  see  fit  to  explain  it  to  Jewitt,  till  long  after  it 
took  place. 

The  whole  matter  by  which  he  justified  himself 
in  the  merciless  act,  will  be  made  known  by  some  ' 
of  the  subsequent  pages. 

The  slaughter,  it  seems,  began  while  some  of  the 
seamen  were  busy  in  hoisting  in  the  long-boat, 
when  the  savages  on  board,  taking  advantage  of 
their  situation,  seized  them  and  cut  their  throats 
with  their  own  jack-knives. 

Captain  Salter  was  thrown  overboard  in  the 
affray,  but  taken  up  and  beheaded  by  the  Indians 
in  the  canoes. 

When  the  fatal  work  was  over  with  those  at  the 
ship,  the  natives  broke  open  the  rum  chest  and 
magazine;  and  providing  themselves  with  the 
deadly  engines,  went  on  shore  in  quest  of  the  men* 
that  were  there.  When  they  had  taken  their  lives, 
they  severed  their  heads  from  their  bodies,  which 


54  CAPTIVE   OF  NOOTKA. 

were  all  cast  into  the  sea,  and  brought  the  appall 
ing  trophies  to  place  them  with  those  on  board. 

When  John  got  able  to  stand,  Maquina  told  him 
he  must  get  the  ship  round  to  Friendly  Cove.  To 
do  this,  he  cut  the  cables,  and  directed  some  of  the 
savages  to  go  aloft  and  loose  the  sails. 

Had  it  not  been  for  the  melancholy  circumstances 
that  surrounded  our  disconsolate  young  friend, 
he  would  have  been  much  amused  by  the  awk 
wardness  of  the  Indians,  at  this  new  work  of 
handling  the  rigging  of  a  vessel. 

However,  as  the  wind  was  exactly  fair  for  the 
purpose,  they  succeeded  in  running  her  into  the 
cove,  and  got  her  ashore  on  H  sand  beach,  about 
eight  o'clock  in  the  evening 

The  king  was  welcomed  home  to  the  village,  by 
every  mark  of  savage  hilarity  at  his  return,  and 
joy  at  his  success,  which  could  be  shown  by  men, 
women,  and  children. 

Some  ran  to  meet  him,  singing,  leaping,  and 
shouting  ;  while  others  made  an  almost  insupporta- 


CAPTIVE   OF   NOOTKA.  55 

ble  din,  to  a  head  in  such  a  state  as  John's  must 
have  been,  by  drumming  with  sticks  on  the  sides 
and  roofs  of  their  houses,  which  were  illuminated 
with  blazing  pine  torches,  stuck  in  the  cracks,  in 
honor  of  their  king's  return. 

A  sad,  sad  night  was  this  to  John,  who,  no 
doubt,  while  he  now  took  his  good  father's  advice, 
and  resigned  himself  to  the  will  of  God,  wished  he 
had  also  taken  it,  and  followed  a  better  counsellor 
than  his  own  romantic  desire  to  see  th*  world,  be 
fore  it  was  too  late  to  be  profited  by  it. 


56 


CHAPTER    V. 

John  goes  to  the  king's  house — sees  the  women — gets  acquainted 
with  the  young  prince,  Sat-sat-sok-sis — his  supper — how  he 
passes  the  night — he  learns  that  one  of  the  men  is  alive  in  the 
ship— finds  it  is  Thompson — obtains  permission  for  him  to 
live. 

MAQUINA'S  house,  of  which  more  will  be  said 
hereafter,  was  very  large,  and  filled  with  people. 
The  king  had  no  less  than  nine  wives;  one  of 
which  was  the  mother  of  the  young  prince,  the  fu 
ture  heir  to  his  honors. 

This  woman  was  very  beautiful,  and  seemed  to 
be  a  sort  of  queen  over  the  others.  She  was  the 
favorite  of  the  king,  and  her  son  was  his  darling 
child. 

The  boy  was  about  eleven  years  old.  His  name 
was  Sat-sat-sok-sis  ;  but,  this  being  rather  an  un 
wieldy  word  to  manage,  and  as  it  may  often  occur  in 


CAPTIVE    OF    NOOTKA.  57 

our  narrative,  we  will  abbreviate  it,  and  in  future 
call  the  prince  Sat-sat. 

John  was  conducted  by  Maquina  to  his  house. 
The  women  came  round  the  prisoner,  and  patting 
him  softly  on  the  head  and  shoulders,  seemed  to 
feel  much  pity  for  him  in  his  sufferings,  and  mani 
fested  a  great  desire  to  do  something  to  relieve  the 
anguish  of  his  wound. 

Maquina  called  for  something  to  eat,  and  his 
women  brought  him  some  dried  clams  and  train- 
oil.  He  seated  John  beside  him,  and  telling  him  to 
eat  a  good  deal  of  oil,  because  it  would  make  him 
fat  and  strong,  began  in  earnest  to  show  that  his 
theory  and  practice  agreed ;  at  least,  so  far  as  gor 
mandizing  was  concerned. 

Bu!,  poor  John !  little  would  he  have  relished 
this  disgusting  repast,  had  there  been  no  sorrow  at 
his  heart,  as  there  was,  swelling  it  almost  to 
bursting. 

Little,  too,  in  his  present  state  of  feeling,  could  he 
have  enjoyed  the  most  sumptuous  board  that  good 
old  England  ever  offered  him.  But  he  made  the 


58  CAPTIVE   OF   NOOTKA. 

best  of  his  condition,  knowing  that  to  murmur 
would  be  in  vain;  and  to  show  dissatisfaction 
might  yet  cost  him  his  life. 

During  the  time  of  supper,  he  heard  the  savages 
importuning  their  king  to  have  him  put  to  death ; 
urging  as  a  reason,  that  he  might  prevent  other 
vessels  from  coming  to  trade  with  them,  by  in 
forming,  in  some  way,  of  what  they  had  done. 

But  Maquina  persisted  in  refusing  to  do  this; 
saying  that  he  had  promised  John  his  life,  and  he 
would  not  break  his  word.  He  again  reminded 
them  of  the  use  he  might  be  to  them,  by  working 
at  their  arms,  &c. 

John  had,  also,  to  listen  to  their  terrible  boasting 
of  what  they  had  each  done,  in  the  murder  of  his 
companions ;  while,  with  horrid  mimicry,  they  went 
through  some  of  the  most  dreadful  acts  of  the 
tragedy. 

Sat-sat,  the  royal  boy,  attracted  by  curiosity,  .at 
the  novel  appearance  of  a  white  person,  and  in  the 
dress  that  looked  very  odd  to  the  little  savage,  came 
up  to  John  to  examine  him. 


CAPTIVE   OF    NOOTKA.  59 

John  thought  he  might  win  the  favor  of  the 
father,  by  securing  that  of  the  child ;  so  he  coaxed 
Sat-sat  to  come  near,  and  caressed  him  till  he  got 
him  willing  to  sit  upon  his  knee. 

He  then  cut  the  bright  metal  buttons  from  the 
coat  he  had  on,  and  having  run  them  on  a  string, 
fastened  them  round  the  neck  of  the  child. 

This  greatly  delighted  his  young  majesty,  who 
run  off  jingling  his  buttons,  and  showing  them  to 
the  company  with  as  much  pride  as  a  civilized  lady 
would  take  in  a  necklace  of  pearls  or  diamonds. 

And  why  should  they  not  be  as  precious  to  him, 
as  those  more  costly  gems  to  their  possessor  ?  No 
body,  it  is  true,  had  delved  in  the  mine  very  deep 
ly,  or  plunged  into  the  ocean  to  obtain  them. 

Yet  they  were  personal  decorations,  bright  and 
pleasing  to  the  eye,  and  they  satisfied  in  him,  the 
future  monarch,  that  vain  love  for  external  show 
and  ornament,  which  seems  alike  implanted  in  the 
bosom  of  the  civilized  and  the  savage,  as  well  as 
the  more  expensive  brilliants  do  those  who,  too 
often  think  more  about  them,  than  they  do  of 


60  CAPTIVE   OF    NOOTKA. 

obtaining  the  l  pearl  of  great  price,'  which  our 
Savior  recommends  as  the  best  of  all  treasures. 

The  thought  of  taking  this  method  with  Sat-sat, 
to  win  him,  was  a  fortunate  one  for  John.  His  but 
tons  completely  succeeded  in  purchasing  the  heart 
of  the  young  prince,  for  their  giver. 

From  that  moment,  Sat-sat  attached  himself  to 
his  new  friend,  acting  out  his  human  nature  with 
out  reserve,  upon  the  principle  of  those  of  whom 
Sat-sat  had  never  heard,  but  who  of  old  showed 
their  self-interest,  by  seeking  the  'loaves  and 
fishes.' 

When  the  hour  came  for  those  in  the  Indian 
palace  to  go  to  rest,  the  company  stretched  them 
selves  on  the  ground ;  and  John  was  made  to  lie 
down  between  Maquina  and  his  son. 

This,  the  king,  who  was  much  pleased  with  the 
attention  he  had  shown  to  Sat-sat,  told  him,  was  to 
prevent  the  Indians,  who  seemed  bent  on  taking  his 
life,  from  coming  to  kill  him  in  his  sleep. 

But  the  unfortunate  youth,  in  his  sadly  new 
and  strange  condition,  felt  little  inclination  to  sleep, 


CAPTIVE   OF    NOOTKA.  6t 

notwithstanding  his  being  literally  in  the  bosom  of 
the  royal  family. 

About  midnight,  he  heard  one  of  the  natives 
come  and  tell  Maquina  that  there  was  a  white  man 
alive  in  the  ship ;  and  that  he  had  been  knocked 
down  by  him,  in  attempting  to  go  on  board. 

When  the  Indian  had  retired,  Maquina  told  John 
of  this  information,  and  said  the  white  man  must 
be  slain  in  the  morning. 

John  tried  to  dissuade  him  from  his  purpose ;  but 
he  silenced  his  entreaties,  and  told  him  to  lie  down 
and  go  to  sleep. 

As  Jewitt  lay  revolving  the  question  in  his  mind, 
who  this  man  might  be,  and  by  what  means  he 
could  prevail  on  the  king  to  let  him  live,  he  thought 
it  was  most  probably  Thompson,  the  sail-maker 
of  the  ship,  as  he  had  not  recognised  his  head 
among  those  of  the  slain ;  and  he  remembered  his 
having  been  below,  at  work  on  the  sails,  when  the 
attack  was  made. 

Thompson  was  a  man  about  forty  years  of  age ; 
but  as  he  had  always  lived  a  sea-faring  life,  from 


62  CAPTIVE    OF    NOOTKA. 

his  boyhood,  he  looked  much  older.  So  John 
thought,  that  if  it  should  prove  to  be  he,  who  was 
alive,  he  would  make  Maquina  think  it  was  his 
father,  and  see  if,  on  this  account,  he  could  not  win 
mercy  for  him. 

He  fell  into  a  doze  towards  morning ;  but  at  the 
rising  of  the  sun,  Maquina  waked  him,  telling  him 
he  was  going  to  the  ship  to  kill  the  man,  and  that 
he  must  get  up  and  go  with  him. 

He  obeyed  in  silence,  and  taking  Sat-sat  by  the 
hand,  led  him  out,  following  the  father  to  the 
beach. 

Here  all  the  men  of  the  tribe  were  assembled, 
waiting  the  approach  of  their  king.  When  he 
came  nigh,  they  gathered  round  him,  listening  with 
deep  attention,  while  he  informed  them  that  there 
was  a  white  man  in  the  ship;  and  asked  their 
general  opinion  whether  he  .had  better  let  him  live, 
or  have  him  put  to  death. 

The  natives  expressed  their  united  wishes  that 
he  might  be  kept  alive,  upon  which  John  ventured 
to  put  in  his  plea. 


CAPTIVE   OF   NOOTKA.  63 

He  pointed  to  the  boy,  whom  he  still  held  by  the 
hand,  and  asked  Maquina  if  he  loved  his  son ;  and 
being  answered  in  the  affirmative,  he  then  asked 
the  child  if  he  loved  his  father.  l  Yes,'  was  the 
reply.  '  So  do  I  love  mine,'  said  he. 

He  threw  himself  now  on  his  knees,  at  the  feet 
of  the  king,  entreating  him  to  spare  the  life  of 
his  father,  if  it  should  prove  to  be  he,  who  was  in 
the  vessel. 

The  heart  of  the  savage  was  touched,  at  this 
pathetic  appeal — he  told  John  to  rise  and  go  on 
board  the  ship  to  tell  the  man  to  come  out ;  and 
promised  that  if  it  was  his  father,  he  might  live. 

John  went  into  the  ship,  and  found  to  his  great 
joy,  that  it  was  indeed  Thompson,  who  'was  there 
alive  and  unhurt. 

He  was  below  when  the  massacre  commenced, 
and  finding  that  he  had  been  unobserved  by  the 
natives,  he  hid  himself  in  the  hold,  till  all  was 
over. 

When  the  Indian  came  on  board  for  plunder,  in 
the  night,  thinking  he  was  in  quest  of  him.  he 


JEWETT  PLEADING  FOR.  THOMPSON. 


CAPTIVE    OF   NOOTKA.  65 

determined  to  sell  his  life  as  dearly  as  possible,  so 
he  made  a  thrust  at  the  savage  and  knocked  him 
down ;  but  he  recovered  himself  in  a  moment,  and 
springing  up,  ran  off  to  tell  the  king. 

John  told  Thompson,  in  as  few  words  as  possi 
ble,  the  plan  he  had  laid  to  save  his  life,  and  the 
new  relationship  of  father  that  he  must  assume — 
reminding  him  how  careful  he  must  be  not  to  let 
the  secret  that  he  was  not  his  father,  be  discovered 
by  the  sagacious  Indians. 

He  then  led  him  forth  to  Maquina,  presenting 
him  as  his  father,  and  promising  to  do  every  thing 
in  his  power  to  serve  the  natives,  if  they  would 
spare  his  life. 

But  he  assured  them  that,  if  they  put  his  father 
to  death,  they  would  lose  his  services,  however 
useful  they  might  be  in  the  way  of  his  art  of  arms- 
making,  &c.,  for  he  would  certainly  kill  himself,  as 
he  could  not  bear  this  loss  and  live. 

This  was  a  powerful  argument ;  and  when  Ma 
quina  recognised  Thompson,  and  knew  him  to  be 
the  sail-maker,  he  thought  his  life,  too,  would  be 
5  F 


66  CAPTIVE   OF   KOOTKA. 

of  service  to  them,  in  his  employment,  as  he  could 
make  sails  for  their  canoes ;  and  reminding  his  peo 
ple  of  this,  at  the  same  time,  telling  them  that,  by 
destroying  him,  they  should  lose  the  services  of 
both ;  for  he  took  John  to  be  in  earnest  in  his  in 
tention  to  kill  himself,  if  Thompson  was  killed. 

Thus,  self-interest  effected  what  humanity  could 
not  have  done,  with  these  barbarians ;  and  it  was 
agreed  that  the  sail-maker's  life  should  be  spared. 

Maquina   then   took  both  his   prisoners   to   his 
house,   and  ordered  something  to  be  brought  for 
them  to  eat ;  and  John  had  the  pleasure  of  seeing 
another  entertainment  of  clams  and  train-oil   set  ' 
before  him 


67 


CHAPTER    VI. 

The  savages  rob  the  ship  of  her  contents,  <SfC. — John  secures  the 
papers — two  ships  are  seen — ether  tribes  of  natives  come  to 
Nootka — their  reception — their  supper,  and  a  dance  by  Sat-sat 
— Maquina  makes  presents  to  his  guests — their  manner  of  re 
ceiving  them — visitor*  continue  to  come  and  go. 

THE  two  following  days,  the  savages  busied 
themselves  in  taking  away  the  cargo  of  the  ship, 
her  sails,  rigging,  and  what  ever  pleased  their  fan 
cies,  or  promised  to  be  in  any  way  useful  to  them. 

They  even  cut  away  her  spars  and  masts,  and 
turned  her  to  a  complete  wreck. 

The  greatest  part  of  the  cargo,  and  all  the  most 
valuable  articles,  were  carried  to  the  king's  house. 

As  John  and  his  new  father  were  obliged  to  as 
sist  in  this  work  of  depredation,  they  thought  it  a 
good  opportunity  to  secure  the  ship's  papers,  &c., 
not  knowing  what  way  might  offer  for  them  to  be 
of  use ;  and  as  the  natives  set  no  value  on  such 


68  CAPTIVE   OF  NOOTKA. 

things,  they  met  with  little  difficulty  in  taking  them 
into  their  own  possession. 

John's  chest  had  been  broken  open  and  plunder 
ed,  but  he  still  had  the  key ;  so  he  put  into  it  the 
papers,  with  the  Captain's  writing-desk,  a  blank 
account-book  that  he  found,  and  which  he  thought 
might  serve  him,  as  he  knew  not  how  long  he 
should  remain  in  captivity,  for  to  keep  some  little 
accounts  of  what  he  might  meet  with. 

In  the  desk  were  some  writing  materials,  which 
he  hoped  to  be  allowed  to  use ;  and  he  also  found 
a  Bible  and  Prayer  Book,  from  which  he  expected 
great  consolation. 

These  articles,  with  a  few  small  tools,  he  found 
no  difficulty  in  securing  in  his  chest,  in  which  he 
also  put  a  journal  that  had  been  kept  by  the  mate, 
and  some  drawings  owned  by  him,  which  he  re 
served  for  his  friends,  in  case  of  there  ever  being 
an  opportunity  to  convey  them  to  the  places  of 
their  abode. 

On  the  twenty-sixth,  two  ships  hove  in  sight; 
and,  while  their  appearance  filled  the  bosoms  of 


CAPTIVE    OF    NOOTKA.  69 

the  captives  with  hope  and  joy,  at  least,  for  a  short 
time,  it  threw  the  natives  into  great  consternation, 
for  they  thought  they  were  coming  to  punish  them 
for  the  work  of  destruction  they  had  been  doing. 

They  had  immediate  recourse  to  their  newly- 
acquired  arms  and  ammunition,  and  kept  up  a 
brisk  firing,  till  the  ships,  not  disposed  to  be  pep 
pered  with  hot  shot,  returned  a  few  rounds,  that 
did  no  harm,  and  stood  out  to  sea  again;  thus 
drowning  the  hopes  of  poor  John  and  his  fellow- 
captive,  in  the  wide- spread  ocean,  over  whose 
surface  they  cut  their  watery  way,  till  out  of  sight. 

These  ships,  as  was  afterwards  ascertained, 
were  the  Mary,  and  the  Juno,  of  Boston,  Massa 
chusetts. 

When  the  ships  were  out  of  sight,  Maquina  be 
gan  to  express  great  regret  that  he  had  let  his  peo 
ple  fire  at  them,  as  he  feared  that  others,  hearing 
of  this  hostile  treatment,  would  be  prevented  from 
coming  to  trade  with  them. 

Not  many  days  after  the  capture  of  the  ship,  the 


70  CAPTIVE   OF   NOOTKA. 

news  having  spread  round  among  the  different 
tribes  of  natives  on  the  coast,  brought  them  in 
hosts  to  Nootka. 

There  came  canoes  filled  with  savages,  of  at 
least  twenty  tribes,  from  the  north  and  south,  who 
hastened  to  pay  Maquina  a  visit  of  gratulation 
for  his  success,  and  expecting,  at  the  same  time,  to 
better  themselves  by  the  presents  it  is  the  custom 
of  these  people  to  bestow  on  their  guests  on  such 
an  occasion. 

Among  these  visitors,  many  belonged  to  the  tribes 
of  the  north,  that  were  tributary  to  the  Nootka. 

But  those  who  were  the  best  dressed,  and  sailed 
in  the  most  neatly-finished  canoes,  belonged  to 
the  Wickanninish,  a  large  and  powerful  tribe  of 
the  south. 

These  had  come  the  distance  of  two  hundred 
miles,  which,  with  sails  to  their  canoes,  and  a 
good  breeze,  they  performed  in  twenty-four  hours. 

An  odd  and  ludicrous  scene  was  presented  on 
the  beach  as  the  canoes  of  the  visitors  approached 


CAPTIVE    OF    NOOTKA.  71 

it ;  for,  Maquina,  proud  of  his  new  acquisition,  set 
out  to  welcome  his  guests  in  what  he  thought  real 
European  gentility  of  style. 

And  a  motley  group  did  the  natives  of  Nootka 
form  as  they  assembled  on  the  beach,  clad  in  their 
new  arid  ill-gotten  gear,  which  had  been  taken  from 
the  ship. 

Some  had  on  kutsacks,  or  cloaks,  made  of  broad 
cloths  of  blue,  red,  and  yellow;  with  stockings 
drawn  over  their  heads,  while,  about  their  necks 
were  hung  powder-horns,  shot-bags,  and  cartouch 
boxes ;  and  many  had  eight  or  ten  muskets  apiece 
on  their  shoulders,  and  half  a  dozen  daggers  fasten 
ed  in  one  girdle. 

Many  articles  of  clothing  they  did  not  know 
how  to  wear,  and  they  put  them  on  in  a  manner 
to  make  most  grotesque  figures  of  themselves. 

Equipped  in  this  way,  they  all  squatted  upon 
the  beach,  holding  their  muskets  perpendicularly, 
with  the  butts  resting  on  the  sand,  waiting  orders 
to  fire  the  salute. 

The  cannon  had  been  taken  from  the  ship  to  the 


72  CAPTIVE    OF    NOOTKA. 

beach,  and  laid  upon  two  sticks  of  timber ;  and  at 
these,  Thompson  was  stationed ;  while  Maquina 
had  taken  a  stick  and  a  trumpet,  and  gone  up  on 
the  roof  of  his  house,  where  he  set  up  such  a 
drumming  on  the  roof,  with  his  stick,  i+  was 
enough  to  stun  any  but  a  savage  head. 

When  the  canoes  drew  up  to  the  shore,  he  spoke 
through  his  trumpet,  telling  his  subjects  to  fire. 

At  the  word  of  command,  they  obeyed,  but 
fearfully  and  awkwardly,  keeping  in  their  squat 
position,  and  pressing  the  butt  of  the  gun,  as  before, 
hard  upon  the  ground. 

At  the  same  moment,  Thompson  fired  the  can 
non,  upon  which  the  natives  threw  themselves 
back,  and  tumbled  and  rolled  about  as  if  they  had 
been  shot. 

Then  they  sprang  up,  and  ran  and  danced  about 
upon  the  beach,  singing  a  song  of  triumph,  and 
boasting  of  their  exploits ;  while  the  strange,  wild 
sounds  of  their  voices  were  accompanied  by  such 
savage  gesticulations  as  were  sometimes  laughable, 
and  sometimes  frightful. 


CAPTIVE    OF    NOOTKA.  73 

When  this  ceremony  was  over,  the  king  came 
down  from  his  perch,  to  meet  his  guests,  and  invite 
them  in,  to  partake  of  the  royal  entertainment  that 
had  been  prepared  for  them  in  his  house. 

This  was  a  large  quantity  of  whale  blubber, 
smoked  herring-spawn,  and  dried  fish  with  train- 
oil,  that  were  set  before  the  company  in  large  trays, 
placed  upon  the  ground,  the  floor  of  the  red  mo 
narch's  palace. 

When  the  feast  was  over,  and  the  trays  removed, 
preparations  were  made  for  the  dance,  which  was 
to  close  the  entertainment. 

Three  of  the  principal  chiefs,  clad  in  otter-skin 
mantles,  a  dress  which  they  only  assumed  on  great 
occasions,  and  having  their  heads  newly  powdered 
with  white  down,  came  forward  into  the  room, 
bearing  each  a  bag  of  white  down,  similar  to  that 
upon  their  heads,  and  began  to  scatter  it  round,  so 
as  to  represent  a  fall^f  snow. 

This,  I  think  a  pretty  idea,  and  quite  a  delicate 
one  too,  as  it  was  strewing  the  way,  with  this  soft 
G 


74  CAPTIVE    OF    NOOTKA. 

and  beautiful  material,  for  the  young  prince  to  step 
upon. 

It  is  a  thought  of  a  more  refined  nature  than  that 
which,  a  short  time  before,  had  occasioned  the  blub 
ber  and  the  sperm  to  be  placed  in  trays  upon  the 
same  spot. 

Behind  these  chiefs,  who  came  paving  the  way 
in  so  gentle  and  soft  a  manner,  followed  Sat-sat, 
with  a  long  piece  of  yellow  cloth,  wrapped  loosely 
about  him ;  and  tricked  out  with  small  bells,  a  cap, 
and  a  mask  in  the  form  of  a  wolf's  head. 

Behind  him  came  the  king  himself,  in  a  robe  of 
sea-otter  skin,  and  having  in  his  mouth  a  smajl 
whistle,  while  in  his  hand  he  held  a  rattle,  which 
he  shook  to  keep  time  to  a  wild,  fantastic  tune  that 
he  played  upon  his  whistle. 

When  they  had  passed,  with  great  gravity  and 
order,  round  the  apartment,  each  was  seated, 
except  Sat-sat,  who  immediately  commenced  his 
dance. 

This  dance  he  performed  chiefly  by  taking  a 


CAPTIVE   OF    NOOTKA.  75 

squat  position,  and  thus,  springing  up  as  far  as  he 
had  power  to  go;  and  incessantly  turning  round 
upon  his  heels  in  a  very  small  circle,  and  with  great 
swiftness  in  his  motion. 

The  dance,  with  only  a  few  intervals  for  him  to 
take  breath,  Sat-sat  kept  up  for  two  hours,  to  the 
doleful  music  which  the  chiefs  made,  by  drumming 
with  short  sticks,  on  pieces  of  plank,  the  under  side 
of  which  had  been  scooped  out  into  a  hollow,  so  as 
to  sound  the  louder,  and  the  more  like  a  hollow  in 
strument. 

During  the  dance,  Maquina  and  his  chiefs  con 
tinued  singing;  and  the  women  uttered  their 
plaudits  at  every  extraordinary  jump  of  the  young 
performer,  crying  out,  at  the  top  of  their  voices, 
k  Wocash !  Wocash  !  Tyee  /'  (good  !  very  good  ! 
prince. ) 

When  the  dance  was  ended,  Maquina  began  to 
deal  out  gifts  to  the  strangers,  in  the  name  of  his 
son  Sat-sat. 

These  presents  consisted  of  pieces  of  cloth,  about 


76  CAPTIVE    OF    NOOTKA. 

two  yards  long,  that  had  been  taken  from  the  ship, 
muskets,  powder,  shot,  &c. 

Maquina,  on  this  occasion,  gave  away  four  hun 
dred  yards  of  cloth,  one  hundred  muskets,  as  many 
looking-glasses,  and  twenty  casks  of  powder,  be 
sides  many  other  articles. 

The  manner  in  which  these  people  received  the 
gifts,  was  very  odd,  and  such  as  seemed  very  unci 
vil  and  ungracious. 

When  the  king  held  out  the  gift,  the  receiver 
snatched  it  from  him  rudely,  and  with  as  stern  a 
look  as  could  be  put  on,  saying  at  the  same  time, 
'Wocash,  Tyeer 

John  thought  by  their  looks,  that  all  were  dissa 
tisfied  with  their  presents  ;  but  he  afterwards  learnt 
that  this  sterri  expression  was  considered  among 
the  savages  a  mark  of  respect ;  and  it  was  viewed 
as  a  great  indignity  to  have  it  omitted  on  the  re 
ception  of  a  thing  bestowed;  especially,  if  the 
giver  was  a  person  in  authority. 

After   the  presents   were    distributed,    Maquina 


CAPTIVE   OF   NOOTKA.  77 

insisted  on  all  the  strangers,  but  the  chiefs,  going 
on  board  their  canoes  to  sleep,  to  prevent  their  pil 
laging  during  the  night;  and  he  set  John  and 
Thompson,  armed  with  cutlasses  and  pistols,  to 
watch  them.  The  chiefs  were  accommodated  with 
a  place  in  the  houses. 

The  natives  of  the  diiferent  tribes  along  the 
coast  continued  to  come  in  this  way,  to  Nootka,  for 
several  days,  bringing  with  them  such  sorts  of  pro 
visions  as  would  be  acceptable,  and  receiving  in 
return,  presents  from  Maquina ;  after  which,  they 
went  directly  back  to  their  homes. 


78 


CHAPTER    VII. 

The  ship  is  burnt — many  articles  lost  by  the  fire — some  valuable 
things  saved — Maquina  discovers  a  tierce  of  rum  among  his 
spoils — invites  company — holds  a  carousal — all  get  intoxicated 
— John  empties  the  rum-cask  upon  the  ground — anecdote  of  a 
merchant — John  begins  to  work  at  his  trade — he  assists 
Thompson  in  getting  food. 

ON  the  morning  of  the  eighteenth,  John  and  his 
companion  in  bondage  witnessed  a  spectacle  which 
was  to  them  a  sad  sight,  while  it  shone  brightly 
before  them. 

As  they  arose,  early  in  the  morning,  and  went 
out,  on  looking  towards  the  ship,  they  saw  her 
wrapped  in  flames.  She  had  taken  fire  by 
means  of  some  sparks  that  some  of  the  natives 
who  went  on  board  in  the  night,  for  plunder,  had 
let  fall  into  the  hold,  among  the  light  combustibles, 
which  soon  broke  out  into  a  blaze,  and  entirely 
completed  the  destruction  of  the  only  trace  of  a 


CAPTIVE    OF    NOOTKA.  79 

civilized  country,  except  the  articles  carried  on 
shore,  which  appeared  to  their  sight. 

Besides,  there  were  a  great  many  provisions  still 
on  board,  which  they  had  hoped  to  take  out  for 
their  own  use  and  comfort,  as  the  natives  would 
not  touch  a  thing  that  had  any  flavor  of  salt,  and 
there  were  many  other  articles  that  would  have 
been  left  to  their  enjoyment,  as  they  were  as  offen 
sive  to  the  savage  taste,  as  the  whale  blubber  and 
train-oil  were  to  theirs. 

But  it  was  a  splendid,  though  melancholy  sight 
to  them,  to  see  the  Boston,  as  she  lay  upon  the 
edge  of  the  great  waters,  that  spread  themselves 
out  so  far  on  one  side,  and  the  border  of  a  savage 
land,  that  stretched  off  on  the  other,  ~ beyond  the 
power  of  their  imaginations  to  follow.  It  was,  I 
say,  a  melancholy  sight  to  see  her  thus  standing 
between  these  two  elements,  for  a  third,  and  more 
terrible  one  to  devour  her. 

As  the  flames  towered  high  above  the  water,  they 
waved  and  sported  on  the  surrounding  air,  as  the 


THE  SHIP  BOSTON  IN  FLAMES. 


CAPTIVE   OF   NOOTKA.  81 

plumes  of  a  group  of  soldiers  are  tossed  and  played 
with  by  the  winds  that  pass. 

The  captives  breathed  out  their  farewell  to  the 
unfortunate  ship  as  she  became  a  mass  of  living 
coals ,  and  then  crumbled  to  pieces  before  their 
eyes. 

The  natives,  too,  seemed  very  sorry  for  the  loss, 
as  there  were  many  things  still  about  her,  which 
they  had  intended  to  save. 

John  lost  his  anvil  and  bellows,  which  had  not 
been  removed  to  the  beach ;  though  nearly  all  the 
other  things  with  which  he  worked,  were  saved. 

Among  the  things  that  had  been  carried  on  shore, 
he  was  glad  to  find  a  nautical  almanac,  which  one 
of  the  natives  gave  him  ;  and  a  case  of  port  wine, 
and  a  box  of  chocolate,  both  of  which,  as  the 
Indians  did  not  like  their  taste,  fell  to  the  disposal 
of  John  and  Thompson. 

The  almanac,  John  expected,  would  be  of  great 

use  to  him  in  determining  on  points  of  time ;  and 

the  natives,  in  their  turn,  were  highly  delighted, 

when  examining  their  booty,  about  two  days  after 

6 


82  CAPTIVE  OF    NOOTKA. 

the  burning  of  the  ship,  they  found  among  a  varie 
ty  of  things,  a  cask  of  rum,  and  a  case  of  gin. 

Since  their  intercourse  with  the  whites,  who  first 
introduced  ardent  spirits  among  the  American  In 
dians,  they  have  become  very  fond  of  the  ' fire 
water,  as  they  used  to  call  rum,  when  they  first 
began  to  use  it. 

It  was  nearly  night  when  Maquina  discovered 
that  he  had  such  a  prize  in  his  possession,  and 
much  elated  with  the  anticipated  enjoyment  of  his 
intoxicating  draught,  he  invited  all  the  men  to  a 
feast  at  his  house,  or,  to  use  a  more  fashionable 
term,  to  an  evening  party,  to  enjoy  with  him  the 
fire-water. 

The  native  Indians  of  Virginia,  when  they  ob 
tained  a  bag  of  gunpowder  from  some  of  the  early 
settlers,  never  having  seen  any  thing  of  the  kind 
before,  but  finding  it  a  thing  of  great  power,  as 
well  as  pretty  and  curious  in  its  effects,  put  it  aside, 
to  plant  with  their  corn,  as  they  said  they  wanted 
to  become  acquainted  with  <  that  kind  of  seed.' 

But,  Maquina    knew  better   than   to  pour  his 


CAPTIVE    OF    NOOTKA.  83 

treasure  into  the  ground,  to  see  if  it  would  produce 
little  rivulets  or  fountains  of  that  kind  of  water; 
so  when  the  company  had  assembled  and  partaken 
of  the  feast  and  the  beverage,  they  soon  grew  so 
intoxicated  and  wild,  that  John  and  Thompson 
fled  to  the  woods  for  safety,  and  the  women  made 
their  escape  to  other  houses  for  the  night. 

The  men  only  were  engaged  in  this  drinking 
frolic,  the  women  of  Nootka  being  perfectly  tempe 
rate,  and  never  using  anything  but  water,  by  way 
of  drink. 

About  midnight,  when  the  wild  shouts  and 
frightful  sounds  of  the  savage  mirth  had  died 
away,  the  captives,  feeling  desirous  of  knowing 
what  was  going  on  at  the  palace,  returned  to  look 
into  the  state  of  affairs  in  and  about  the  premises. 

The  Indians,  after  their  carousal,  overcome  by 
the  effects  of  the  strong  draughts  they  had  taken, 
were  all  stretched  out  on  the  ground,  in  profound 
sleep,  or  stupefaction,  such  as  follows  excessive 
drinking. 

It  had  now  been  an  easy  thing  for  the  captives 


84  CAPTIVE    OF    NOOTKA. 

to  destroy  their  lives,  or  bind  them  down,  had  there 
been  any  vessel  to  which  they  might  flee  for  re 
fuge. 

But  to  kill  the  poor  untutored  savages,  was  a  thing 
that  was  not  to  be  thought  of;  and  to  make  any  oth 
er  attempt  upon  them,  would  have  been  useless,  as 
there  was  no  possible  way  of  escape  by  water,  and 
to  go  back  into  the  woods  would  only  be  exposing 
themselves  to  the  hostilities  of  other  natives;  so  they 
thought  the  best  thing  they  could  do,  would  be  to 
prevent  the  danger  of  another  fire-water  jubilee. 

John  went  to  the  rum-cask,  and,  finding  it  had 
still  enough  in  it  to  make  its  effects  dreaded,  he 
took  a  small  gimblet,  and  bored  in  the  under  side 
of  the  cask,  a  hole  large  enough  to  let  the  spirit 
take  its  own  way  and  its  own  time  to  sink  into  the 
earth,  before  morning. 

He  had  the  satisfaction  to  find,  that  in  a  few 
hours,  the  soil  had  drunk  up,  what  the  children  of 
the  soil  had  left ;  and  that  there  remained  no  more 
an  opportunity  for  the  natives  to  have  another  frolic 
of  this  sort. 


CAPTIVE   OP   NOOTKA.  85 

And  he  now  saw  that  the  burning  of  the  ship, 
which  he  had  before  regretted  so  much,  was  a  wise 
direction  of  Providence ;  as  there  was  on  board  a 
large  quantity  of  rum,  which,  had  it  been  secured 
by  the  natives,  would  have  been  a  source  of  great 
trouble  to  him  and  Thompson,  if  it  did  not  cause 
their  death. 

John's  act  in  the  tempwance  cause  reminds  me  of 
an  anecdote,  which,  as  I  was  knowing  to  the^facts 
at  the  time,  I  will  digress  from  our  story,  to  relate. 

In  the  summer  of  1832,  a  merchant  of  Newbury- 
port,  Massachusetts,  having  long  been  convinced  of 
the  evil  of  furnishing  the  seamen  who  went  out  in 
his  vessels,  with  a  supply  of  spirituous  liquor,  for 
their  voyage,  began  to  consider  seriously  on  the 
easiest  and  best  way  to  dispose  of  a  couple  of 
hogsheads  of  rum  that  had  been  a  great  while  in 
his  store. 

To  sell  it  to  others,  he  felt,  would  not  be  de 
stroying  the  evil,  but  only  passing  it  off  on  his 
neighbors — he  had  too  much  conscience  for  this. 


86  CAPTIVE   OF    NOOTKA. 

To  ship  the  rum  to  some  other  port,  would  only 
be  removing  from  his  sight  the  bad  consequences 
which  he  felt  certain  would  follow  the  use  of  it. 

So  he  called  a  truckman,  and  directed  him  to 
take  the  hogsheads  of  rum  on  his  trucks,  and  carry 
them  to  the  head  of  the  wharf.  He  then  bored  a 
hole  in  the  head  of  each,  and  let  them  empty  their 
contents  into  the  Merrimac  river. 

Had  he  sold  the  rum,  it  would  have  brought  him 
much  money ;  but  in  this  act,  he  gave  a  proof  that 
a  man  of  sound  principle  will  be  ready  to  make 
a  personal  sacrifice  of  worldly  gain,  to  the  cause 
of  general  good ;  and  that  he  will  not  countenance 
or  assist  others  in  doing  what  he  would  deem  it 
wrong  for  himself  to  do. 

We  will  now  resume  our  story.  John  had  so  far 
recovered  from  the  hurt  on  his  head,  and  the  shock 
he  had  sustained  in  the  loss  of  his  friends,  as  to  be 
able  to  begin  to  work  a  little. 

He  found  a  large  flat  stone,  which  he  converted 
into  an  anvil ;  and  heating  the  metal  on  which  he 


CAPTIVE   OF    NOOTKA.  87 

worked,  in  a  common  fire,  for  a  furnace,  he  com 
menced  his  business,  much  to  the  satisfaction  of  the 
king  and  his  wives. 

For  the  women  he  made  bracelets  and  other  or 
naments  of  copper  and  steel,  which  pleased  them 
highly;  and  for  the  men,  he  mended  their  arms, 
&c.,  which  won  for  him  their  favor,  also;  and  they 
began  to  think  they  had  a  valuable  prize  in  their 
young  captive. 

The  neighboring  tribes  of  Indians  still  kept  flock 
ing  to  Nootka,  with  their  stores  of  provisions,  to 
exchange  for  a  share  of  the  spoils  of  the  ship ;  and 
John  was  allowed  to  make,  on  his  own  hook,  some 
small  ornamental  articles  which  he  sold  to  them, 
for  either  victuals  for  himself  and  Thompson,  or 
pieces  of  European  cloth,  and  wearing  apparel, 
which  they  had  just  received  from  his  master. 

I  speak  of  John's  procuring  food  in  this  way, 
because  it  is  the  habit  of  the  Nootka  Indians  to 
make  the  most  of  to-day,  and  let  to-morrow  take 
care  of  itself;  and  they  would  often  destroy,  at  one 
of  their  feasts,  what  would  have  kept  them  com- 


88  CAPTIVE   OF   NOOTKA. 

fortable  for  several  days,  though  they  afterwards 
had  to  take  a  very  short  allowance,  in  consequence 
of  their  careless  waste. 

John  generally  fared  as  well  as  his  master's 
family ;  but  Thompson,  who  could  not  bring  his 
spirit  into  subjection  to  his  new  lords,  being  of  an 
irritable  temper,  often  manifested  a  state  of  feeling 
towards  the  Indians,  that  made  him  no  favorite 
with  them,  and  greatly  displeased  them. 

He  would  frequently  have.,  had  ta  go  -hiiingry, 
had  not  his  adopted  son  procured  food  for .  him, 
either  by  selling  his  work,  or  by  begging  for  him 
of  others,  who  did  not  belong  to  the  king's  family. 

John  was  so  highly  esteemed  in  the  village,  "that 
when  he  did  not  find  enough  of  such  disgtisting 
fare  as  he  had  to  live  on,  at  home,  he  could  go  into 
any  hut  where  he  saw  a  smoke,  (the  sign  that  they 
were  cooking,)  and  get  something,  which  was 
readily  given  him  for  himself  and  his  friend ;  thus 
getting  hunger  satisfied  with  what  -did  not  do  much 
towards  delighting  the  taste. 


89 


CHAPTER    VIII. 

John's  remarks  about  cooking — Maquina  throws  away  the  kettle 
of  salt — John's  head  gets  better — Thompson's  history — he 
strikes  Sat-sat — an  affray,  in  which  he  is  likely  to  be  slain — 
John  pleads  till  the  king  consents  to  his  life  being  spared — 
strawberries  appear — John  begins  his  journal. 

IT  would  have  been  a  cause  of  great  pleasure  to 
the  captives,  could  they  have  had  permission  to 
cook  their  salmon,  halibut,  and  other  food  in  their 
own  way,  which  they  might  easily  have  done  with 
the  pot  and  other  cooking  utensils,  that  had  been 
saved  from  the  ship,  had  not  Maquina  forbidden  it. 

He  and  all  the  rest  of  the  tribe  were  so  proud 
and  tenacious  of  their  own  manner  of  cooking,  that 
whenever  John  procured  a  fish,  he  was  obliged  to 
give  it  up  to  the  women,  and  let  them  make  what 
sort  of  a  mess  they  pleased  with  it,  and  it  generally 
came  out  a  pretty  unpalatable  dish. 
H 


90  CAPTIVE   OF    NOOTKA. 

Once,  when  the  prisoners  went  away  by  them 
selves,  into  a  retired  place,  in  order  to  boil  down 
some  sea- water,  to  make  salt  for  their  food,  Maqui- 
*na,  discovering  what  they  were  about,  was  so  of 
fended,  that  he  spilt  their  brine,  and  threw  the 
kettle  into  the  sea. 

This  act  was  not  because  Maquina  wished  to 
treat  John  unkindly — on  the  contrary,  he  seemed 
disposed  to  show  him  much  kindness,  in  his  barba 
rous  way  •  but  he  was  so  proud,  he  could  not  bear 
anything  like  innovation,  or  like  dissatisfaction  with 
their  mode  of  living. 

Once,  as  a  great  favor,  he  permitted  John  to  cook 
a  salmon ;  and  he  and  his  favorite  wife  condescend 
ed  to  taste  of  it ;  but  they  did  not  like  it,  and  turn 
ed  to  that  which  was  done  according  to  their  own 
fashion. 

The  wound  on  John's  head  was  now  getting 
well  fast.  The  tobacco  having  been  brought  on 
shore,  allowed  him  a  fresh  leaf  every  day,  which 
was  the  only  thing  applied  to  the  cut,  besides  the 
water  with  which  it  was  washed,  and  some  loaf- 


CAPTIVE    OF    NOOTKA.  91 

sugar  that  the  king  gave  him  once,  to  take  out  the 
proud  flesh  that  had  formed. 

Sat-sat's  mother  would  often  point  to  John's  fore 
head,  and  giving  a  piteous  look,  express  a  wish  to 
have  it  well ;  while  Maquina  seemed  also  to  feel 
much  compassion  for  him,  and  spared  him  what 
labor  he  could,  asking  frequently  if  his  head  pained 
him. 

But  Thompson,  who  could  not  help  showing  by 
his  rude  manner  and  unbending  spirit,  that  he  could 
not  well  brook  his  captivity  and  subjection  to  his 
red  masters,  was  not  much  in  favor  with  any  of 
the  natives. 

To  account  a  little  for  the  rough  outside  and 
the  stubborn  spirit  of  Thompson,  it  may  be  well  to 
say  a  few  words  about  his  origin  and  life. 

He  was  born  in  Philadelphia ;  but  he  ran  away 
from  his  friends  when  a  very  small  boy,  and  en 
tered  as  cabin-boy  in  a  ship  bound  to  London. 
When  he  arrived  at  London,  not  knowing  what  to 
do  with  himself,  which  is  often,  I  suspect,  the  case 


92         *  CAPTIVE   OF    NOOTKA. 

with  boys  as  disobedient  and  wayward  as  he,  he 
went  and  engaged  himself  as  an  apprentice  to  a 
collier. 

He  was  afterwards  impressed  on  board  an  Eng 
lish  man-of-war,  and  remained  about  twenty-seven 
years  in  the  service  of  the  British  navy. 

During  this  time,  he  had  encountered  many  pe 
rils,  and  engaged  in  some  hot  battles.  He  was  a 
strong,  muscular  man,  and  an  expert  boxer.  He 
had  been  so  familiar  with  danger,  it  had  lost  its 
dread  to  him ;  and  whenever  his  temper  was  raised, 
he  was  wholly  regardless  of  his  own  life. 

This  daring  spirit  he  could  not,  or  would  not, 
overcome ;  and  it  came  very  near  proving  fatal  to 
him,  in  his  new  situation. 

The  Indians,  it  seems,  had  taken  the  lamps  from 
the  ship,  and  placed  them  in  the  king's  room,  in 
stead  of  the  pine  torches  with  which  it  was  before 
lighted;  and  it  fell  to  Thompson's  lot  to  fill  and 
light  them. 

One  evening,  when  John  was  at  the  house  of 


CAPTIVE   OF   NOOTKA.  93 

one  of  the  chiefs,  about  some  work  he  was  doing 
for  him,  word  was  brought  him,  that  Maquina  was 
going  to  kill  Thompson. 

He  dropped  his  work,  and  running  to  see  what 
was  the  matter,  he  found  Maquina  holding  a  load 
ed  musket,  while  he  foamed  at  the  mouth  with 
rage,  at  Thompson,  who  stood  before  him  with  his 
bosom  bare,  telling  him  to  fire. 

He  stepped  between  them,  and  addressing  the 
king  in  the  most  soothing  words  and  tones,  entreat 
ed  him  to  spare  his  father,  and  at  length  prevail 
ed  on  him  to  let  him  take  the  musket,  and  to  sit 
down. 

When  the  incensed  monarch  grew  a  little  cool, 
John  learned  the  cause  of  the  offence. 

Thompson  was  about  filling  the  lamps,  when  a 
throng  of  Indian  boys,  eager  to  see  how  it  was 
done,  gathered  round  him,  pulling  his  clothes  and 
annoying  him  in  various  ways,  till  they  made  him 
spill  the  oil. 

Upon  this,  he  flew  into  a  passion,  and  gave  the 


94  CAPTIVE   OF   NOOTKA. 

first  boy  that  he  could  lay  his  hand  on,  a  blow  in 
the  face  that  knocked  him  down. 

This  happened  to  be  Sat-sat,  and  the  act  of  strik 
ing  him  the  savages  regarded  as  the  highest  indig 
nity,  as  the  persons  of  the  royal  family  are  held 
sacred ;  and  the  sensation  produced  among  them, 
at  seeing  their  little  prince's  majesty  thus  profan 
ed,  cannot  be  conceived  of  by  one  who  did  not 
witness  it. 

When  Maquina  saw  his  son's  face  covered  with 
blood,  he  had  resolved  at  once  on  taking  the  life 
of  the  offender ;  and  with  this  intent  he  had  seized 
the  musket,  which,  had  not  John  arrived  at  that 
moment,  would  have  laid  Thompson  breathless 
before  him. 

It  was  a  long  time  before  Maquina  could  be  ap 
peased  ;  and  for  a  great  while  after  this  affray,  he 
would  say,  now  and  then,  '  John,  you  die — Thomp 
son  kill.' 

But  the  king  was  not  all  who  was  to  be  pacified 
— the  whole  tribe  felt  themselves  ill-treated  in  the 


CAPTIVE   OF   NOOTKA.  95 

person  of  their  young  prince.  They  held  a  coun 
cil,  and  it  was  resolved  upon,  that  Thompson 
should  be  put  to  death  in  the  most  cruel  manner. 

But  John  assuring  the  king  that,  if  he  delivered 
his  father  over  to  be  tormented  and  slain  by  his 
people,  he  would  certainly  not  survive  him,  but 
would  destroy  his  own  life ;  thus  prevailed  on  him 
to  forbid  their  injuring  him,  in  the  least,  which,  he 
took  good  care  to  inform  John,  was  on  his  account, 
not  on  his  father's. 

Sat-sat  also  assured  him  of  this,  afterwards  ;  for 
he  said,  if  that  blow  had  come  on  him  from  any 
one  of  the  natives,  it  would  have  caused  him  who 
gave  it,  to  be  put  to  death  at  once. 

Yet,  strange  as  it  may  seem,  the  difficulty  thus 
brought  on  Thompson,  by  giving  way  to  anger,  did 
not  teach  him  much  prudence. 

He  detested  the  Indians,  and  he  did  not  try  to 
conceal  his  feelings  towards  them.  This  often 
brought  him  into  a  squabble  with  some  one  of 
them,  and  gave  great  anxiety  to  his  fellow-captive. 

He  used  to  say  sometimes  that  he  abhorred  the 


96  CAPTIVE   OF  NOOTKA. 

natives  so  much,  he  would  rather  die,  than  live  a 
slave  among  them,  after  being  the  brave  soldier 
that  he  had  been,  and  fighting  the  French  and  the 
Spaniards  as  he  had  done. 

This  irritable  disposition  of  Thompson's  kept 
John  in  constant  fear,  lest  he  should,  by  some  vio 
lence  or  insulting  act,  forfeit  his  life,  and  cause  him 
to  be  left  to  bear  the  horrors  of  his  bondage  alone. 

It  was  now  about  the  middle  of  May.  The  cli 
mate  was  so  mild,  asfid  the  season  so  fine,  that  the 
strawberries,  with  which  the  coast  abounded,  were 
fully  ripe. 

It  was  a  great  luxury  to  the  captives  to  gather 
these,  and  eat  them  fresh  from  the  spot  where  they 
grew ;  but  the  natives  would  not  use  them  without 
a  dressing  of  the  nauseous  train-oil. 

About  this  time,  Thompson,  who  could  not  write 
himself,  importuned  John,  frequently,  to  begin  his 
journal ;  and  told  him,  as  he  had  no  ink,  he  would 
cut  his  own  finger  and  let  him  have  blood  from  it 
to  write  with,  whenever  he  wished  to  set  anything 
down. 


CAPTIVE   OF   NOOTKA.  97 

But  John  was  spared  the  painful  acceptance  of  so 
strange  an  offer ;  as  he  found  a  kind  of  wild  berry, 
the  juice  of  which,  being  boiled  with  powdered 
charcoal,  and  filtered  through  a  cloth,  made  very 
good  ink. 

He  prepared  a  bottle  or  two  of  this,  and  gather 
ing  up  some  of  the  raven  and  crow-quills,  that 
were  scattered  about  the  shore,  he  furnished  him 
self  with  a  clam-shell  for  an  inkstand,  and  thus 
provided,  he  began  his  regular  diary,  about  the  first 

of  June. 

7  I 


98 


CHAPTER    IX. 

John's  conduct  towards  the  natives — Thompson's — his  secona 
insult  to  a  Tyee — description  of  Nootka — its  buildings — Dex* 
ter's  images. 

JOHN  had,  from  the  first  of  his  bondage,  resolved 
on  using  a  mild,  conciliatory  deportment  towards 
the  natives ;  and  to  set  about  learning  their  lan 
guage  as  fast  as  possible,  so  as  to  understand  them, 
and  express  himself  in  the  safest  terms,  as  this  he 
considered  the  surest  way  to  win  their  favor,  and 
lessen  the  pains  of  captivity. 

But  it  was  far  otherwise  with  Thompson.  He 
insisted  that  he  did  not  want  to  know  the  language 
of  so  detestable  a  race,  and  declared  that  he  would 
not  defile  his  mouth  with  their  lingo. 

It  was  not  long  after  his  thrust  at  Sat-sat,  that 
he  got  himself  and  his  friend  into  a  similar  affair 


CAPTIVE    OF    NOOTKA.  99 

of  danger  by  striking  the  son  of  a  chief,  for  calling 
him  a  white  slave. 

The  Indian  lad  was  eighteen  years  old ;  an  age, 
which,  by  the  custom  of  the  tribe,  endowed  him 
with  the  honors  and  the  dignity  of  a  Tyee,  (chief.) 

But  John,  making  use  of  all  his  address,  suc 
ceeded  a  second  time  in  extricating  the  white  offen 
der  from  the  entanglement  into  which  his  own 
folly  and  rashness  had  brought  him,  and  which 
made  all  the  tribe  clamorous  for  his  death. 

It  seemed  to  be  Thompson's  determination  not  to 
learn  wisdom  by  experience,  but  rather  to  l  cat  of 
the  fruit  of  his  own  ways,  and  be  filled  with  his 
own  devices.' 

It  may  now  be  well,  as  we  may  not  find  a  more 
convenient  stopping-place  in  our  narrative,  to  pause 
here  a  little  while,  and  suspend  the  thread  of  the 
story,  to  give  a  short  description  of  the  place  with 
which  it  is  connected,  and  an  account  of  the  cus 
toms  of  the  people  who  inhabited  it. 

The  village  of  Nootka  was  situated  in  between 


iOO  CAPTIVE   OF   NOOTKA. 

forty-nine  and  fifty  degrees  of  north  latitude,  at  the 
bottom  of  Friendly  Cove,  on  the  north-west  side. 

The  houses,  or  huts,  of  which  it  consisted  when 
John  was  a  prisoner  there,  were  about  twenty  in 
number,  and  stood  upon  the  slope  of  a  small  hill 
that  rose  gradually  up  from  the  border  of  the 
beach. 

Friendly  Cove,  formed  between  the  line  of  coast 
on  the  one  side,  and  a  point  of  land  that  extends 
three  leagues  into  the  sound,  on  the  other,  is  be 
tween  a  quarter  and  a  half  of  a  mile  wide,  and 
from  a  half  to  three  quarters  of  a  mile  long.  It  is 
a  small  harbor,  and  affords  a  good  anchorage  for 
ships  coming  close  to  the  shore. 

The  eastern  and  western  shores  of  this  harbor 
are  abrupt  and  rugged,  with  trees  growing  close  to 
the  water's  edge ;  but  at  the  bottom  of  the  cove,  to 
the  north-west,  there  is  a  fine  sandy  beach,  the 
same  on  which  I  have  described  the  natives  as 
sitting  with  their  guns  up,  to  hail  their  visitors 
with  a  salute. 


CAPTIVE    OF    NOOTKA.  101 

From  the  village  there  stretches  off  to  the  north 
and  north-east,  a  strip  of  plain,  the  soil  of  which 
is  soft  and  rich ;  but  it  soon  terminates  at  the  sea- 
coast,  that  is  lined  with  reefs  of  rocks  that  make  it 
impossible  for  vessels  to  approach  the  shore.  The 
coast  in  the  neighborhood  of  Nootka  is  rather  low, 
and  not  much  diversified  with  hills  and  dales.  It 
abounds  with  fine  clear  streams  of  sweet  water, 
and  the  soil  is  good,  and  overspread  with  noble 
forests  of  pine,  spruce,  beech,  and  other  trees. 

A  few  years  previous  to  the  time  of  our  story, 
the  Spaniards,  thinking  the  hill  where  the  village 
of  Nootka  stood,  would  afford  them  a  fine  situation 
for  a  garrison,  took  possession  of  it,  driving  the 
Indians  back  several  miles  into  the  woods,  and 
demolishing  their  houses. 

But  when  the  Spanish  garrison  was  expelled  by 
the  English,  the  Indians  returned  with  great  joy  to 
their  favorite  spot,  and  rebuilt  their  town. 

When  John  was  there,  the  foundation  of  the 
Spanish  governor's  house  was  still  visible,  and 
there  were  several  kinds  of  European  plants,  such 


102  CAPTIVE   OF   NOOTKA. 

as  peas,  turnips,  and  onions,  that  had  scattered 
themselves  about  in  the  soil  and  were  growing, 
though  in  a  stinted  manner,  without  cultivation. 

The  houses  at  Nootka,  which  I  have  already 
said,  were  about  twenty  in  number,  were  of  vari 
ous  sizes,  according  to  the  rank  of  the  Tyees  who 
lived  in  them,  as  each  house  contained  several 
families,  over  whom  the  chief  who  occupied  it  with 
them,  was  considered  the  rightful  lord. 

Each  family  held  their  little  allotment  in  the 
house,  separate  from  the  other  parts;  and  each 
house  was  large  enough  to  accommodate  a  great 
many  people — none  being  too  small  for  two  fami 
lies. 

These  buildings,  of  which  Maquina's  was  the 
largest,  stood  nearly  in  a  direct  line,  thus  forming 
by  one  range,  the  little  village  on  the  hill's  side. 

The  manner  in  which  the  Nootkans  built,  was 
as  follows :  and  it  does  not  seem  quite  so  difficult 
as  getting  the  materials  ready  for  use,  which  must  in 
their  way,  and  with  their  means,  have  been  a  very 
laborious  process. 


CAPTIVE   OF    NOOTKA.  103 

When  a  building  was  to  oe  erected,  and  the  pre 
parations  were  made,  the  first  step  was  to  set  two 
large  posts  so  far  into  the  ground  as  to  make  them 
sure  to  stand,  and  at  such  a  distance  from  each 
other,  as  to  comprise  the  length  of  the  house — the 
top  of  each  post  being  hollowed  out,  so  as  to  let  the 
end  of  a  spar  fit  in  and  remain  secure. 

An  immensely  large  and  long  spar  was  then  laid 
upon  them  to  form  the  ridgepole  of  the  house ;  but 
if  the  length  of  the  house  required  it,  two  addition 
al  posts  were  set  up,  so  as  to  admit  of  the  ridgepole 
being  formed  of  two  spars,  which  was  not  un- 
frequently  the  case,  as  the  houses  were  some  of 
them  very  long. 

The  king's  house  was  one  hundred  feet  long,  and 
the  single  spar  that  passed  from  end  to  end  of  it, 
measured  eight  feet  four  inches  in  circumference. 

The  corner  posts  were  to  be  set  up  next,  mark 
ing  the  width  of  the  house ;  but  they  were  shorter 
than  those  on  which  the  ridgepole  rested,  so  as  to 
have  another  spar  placed  on  each  side  of  the  first, 


104  CAPTIVE   OF   NOOTKA. 

and  a  little  lower,  to  give  a  slant  to  the  roof  of  the 
house. 

The  spars  that  were  to  come  under  the  eaves  of 
the  building,  were  made  flat  on  the  upper  side,  with 
a  little  rising  edge  left  on  the  outer  part,  to  prevent 
the  planks,  of  which  the  covering  of  the  house  was 
to  be  made,  from  sliding  off. 

When  these  side  spars  were  laid  on  the  posts,  the 
builders  proceeded  to  laying  on  the  roof.  The 
planks  of  which  this  was  formed,  were  heavy,  with 
a  broad  feather-edge  so  as  to  lap ;  and  placed  one 
end  on  the  ridgepole,  the  other  on  the  side  beam, 
closely  lapped  along,  till  one  coat  of  the  roof  was 
formed. 

Another  coat  of  planks  was  laid  on  so  as  to  jut 
over  the  eaves,  or,  beyond  the  ends  of  the  first  lay 
ing,  in  a  way  to  exclude  the  rain  entirely. 

These  were  only  fastened  on  by  large  rocks  that 
were  laid  upon  them ;  but  they  were  often  so  inse 
cure  as  to  oblige  the  men  to  go  out  and  sit  upon  the 
roofs  of  their  houses,  in  a  violent  storm,  to  keep 
them  from  being  blown  away. 


CAPTIVE   OF    NOOTKA.  105 

It  seems  to  be  reversing  the  common  order  of 
things,  to  be  sure,  for  a  man  to  have  to  shelter,  or 
protect  his  house,  instead  of  receiving  protection 
from  it  in  a  storm ;  but  so  it  was  with  these  poor, 
uncivilized,  untutored  savages,  who  knew  no  bet 
ter  way  of  fastening  their  buildings  together. 

A  missionary  among  the  Sandwich  Islands,  in 
forms  us  that  some  of  the  natives  set  so  high  a 
value  on  common  nails,  that  when  they  have  ob 
tained  a  few  from  some  vessel,  they  have  been 
known  to  plant  them,  in  order  to  have  a  tree  come 
up  and  bear  nails,  not  knowing  how  else  they  could 
be  produced. 

But  the  Nootkans  had  no  nails  to  spring  up  from 
their  grounds,  and  if,  in  any  other  way,  they  had 
been  furnished  with  enough  for  their  buildings,  it  is 
doubtful  whether  they  would  have  condescended 
to  use  them,  so  proud  and  tenacious  were  they  of 
their  own  way  in  everything. 

To  form  the  side  of  the  house,  a  double  row  of 
stancheons  was  set  up,  as  high  as  the  eaves,  the 
distance  of  each  pair  from  the  other,  about  as  long 


106  CAPTIVE    OF    NOOTKA. 

as  the  planks  to  be  used,  and  the  stakes  of  each 
couple,  just  far  enough  apart  to  admit  the  width  of 
the  plank. 

The  planks  were  then  slidden  in  between  them, 
resting  one  upon  the  edge  of  the  other,  till  the  side 
of  the  building  was  sealed  up. 

There  was  but  one  entrance  to  the  house,  and 
this  commonly  at  the  end ;  though  that  of  Maqui- 
na's  house  was  in  the  middle  of  the  side. 

They  had  no  chimneys,  or  fire-places,  but  a  few 
stones  put  together  to  build  the  fire  on,  and  a  board 
in  the  roof  above  it,  so  fixed  as  to  be  shoved  aside, 
whenever  they  made  a  fire,  and  wanted  to  let  the 
smoke  out. 

Through  the  middle  of  the  building,  there  runs 
along  from  end  to  end,  a  passage  about  eight  feet 
wide,  on  each  side  of  which  lived  numerous  fami 
lies,  without  any  partition  to  mark  their  limits, 
but  all  having  their  separate  fire-places,  furni 
ture,  &c. 

The  earth  formed  the  only  floor  of  these  odd 
habitations,  and  the  only  bed  of  their  occupants, 


CAPTIVE    OF    NOOTKA.  107 

except  a  piece  of  bark  matting  which  they  spread 
down,  and  upon  which  they  laid  themselves  to  rest, 
with  only  their  clothing  thrown  over  them  for  a  co 
vering. 

The  ridgepole  of  the  king's  house  was  painted 
in  alternate  red  and  black  rings,  and  the  tops  of 
the  posts  were  rudely  carved  and  painted  so  as  to 
represent  the  heads  of  men  of  an  enormous  size. 

This  was  done  by  way  of  embellishment  to  the 
palace,  and  to  distinguish  the  royal  abode  from 
that  of  a  subject. 

A  taste  and  a  whim  similar  to  that  of  the  Indian 
monarch,  seems  to  have  actuated  the  late  noted 
Timothy,  (alias  Lord,)  Dextef,  who,  some  thirty 
years  ago,  or  thereabouts,  caused  to  be  placed  over 
the  arched  door- way,  and  in  the  front  yard  of  his 
spacious  house  in  Newburyport,  Massachusetts, 
numerous  carved  and  painted  images,  clothed  in 
military,  or  other  professional  attire,  that  stood  up 
as  large  as  life,  on  double  rows  of  high  pillars,  each 
labeled  with  a  name,  such  as  '  Washington^  i  Han 
cock,'  'Adams,'  &c. 


108  CAPTIVE   OF   NOOTKA. 

A  few  of  these  images  remain  to  this  day,  the 
ridiculous  and  weather-beaten  monuments  of  the 
folly  of  him  whose  mortal  form  has  crumbled,  long 
before  them,  into  dust. 


109 


CHAPTER    X. 

How  they  made  boards  at  Nootka — their  furniture — their  man- 
ner  of  eating — their  feasts — how  they  made  cloth — their  dress. 

THE  manner  in  which  the  Nootkans  prepared 
their  planks  for  building,  was  by  splitting  them  out 
from  large  pine  logs,  which  they  did  with  hard 
wooden  wedges,  and  then  reducing  them  to  a  proper 
thickness  by  working  on  them  with  their  chisels. 

This  was  a  labor  that  required  much  time  and 
patience,  and  the  Indians  must  have  obtained,  not 
only  their  food,  but  also  their  dwellings,  by  c  the 
sweat  of  the  brow.' 

Their  houses  were,  none  of  them,  more  than  ten 
feet  high,  at  the  ridgepole,  but,  broad  and  long  as 
they  were,  they  must  have  cost  many  a  hard  day's 
work,  with  their  boards  procured  by  so  slow  and 
toilsome  a  process. 

John  found   that  the  furniture  of  one  of  these 


110  CAPTIVE   OF   NOOTKA. 

houses  consisted  neither  in  pieces  of  porcelain,  ala 
baster,  marble,  polished  mahogany,  or  gilt- work; 
and  that  the  royal  establishment  did  not  differ  from 
the  others  in  its  household  gear. 

All  that  these  people  seemed  to  want  was  just 
enough  for  use  ;  and  for  this,  very  little  sufficed. 

They  had  boxes  in  which  to  keep  their  clothes, 
furs,  and  other  articles  which  they  wished  to  preserve 
most  carefully,  formed  of  pine,  and  very  smooth, 
with  covers  to  shut  closely  over  and  fastened  on  by 
flexile  twigs,  instead  of  hinges  and  locks. 

Sometimes  these  boxes  were  ornamented  with 
rows  of  small  white  shells,  that  were  brought  up 
from  the  sea  in  so  curious  a  way,  that  I  shall  here 
after  describe  it. 

With  baskets  for  their  dried  fish,  and  other  pur 
poses,  and  bags  of  the  bark  matting,  of  which  they 
also  had  a  patch  to  sleep  upon,  the  Indians  had 
tubs  of  an  oblong  square,  and  of  various  sizes, 
from  six  feet  by  four,  down  to  a  very  small  mea 
sure. 

These  tubs  they  used,  too,  for  keeping  their  soft 


CAPTIVE   OF   NOOTKA.  Ill 

provisions,  for  cooking,  and  many  other  uses. 
They  were  formed  by  the  chisel  from  square 
blocks. 

Their  dishes  were  only  large  trays,  formed  in  a 
similar  manner,  and  about  three  feet  long,  one 
wide,  and  eight  inches  deep. 

Around  one  of  these  trays,  filled  with  whatever 
their  meal  happened  to  consist  of,  whether  of  stew 
ed  salmon,  whale-blubber,  herring-spawn,  or  some 
thing  else  as  inviting,  from  four  to  six  persons 
generally  seated  themselves,  on  the  ground,  with 
their  legs  crossed  and  bent  under  them,  to  partake 
of  the  repast. 

They  used  nothing  but  their  hands  in  eating, 
unless  the  dish  chanced  to  be  a  soup,  or  swimming 
with  oil ;  in  which  case,  each  resorted  to  a  clam 
shell  as  a  vehicle  to  convey  to  his  mouth,  the  ali 
ment  that  might  otherwise  have  slipped  through 
his  fingers. 

Their  food  consisted  chiefly  of  fish  of  various 
kinds,  clams,  muscles,  and  a  variety  of  wild  ber 
ries,  all  of  which,  even  to  the  delicate  strawberries 


112  CAPTIVE   OF    NOOTKA. 

and  raspberries,  had  to  take  a  dressing  of  train-oil, 
before  they  were  eaten. 

One  way  which  the  Nootkans  had  to  cook  a  fish 
was  this:  They  put  into  the  largest  tub,  water 
enough  to  make  their  broth,  and  heating  stones 
very  hot,  put  them  into  the  water  till  it  boiled. 

Then  they  cut  oif  the  head,  tail,  and  fins  of  a 
salmon,  and  laid  the  fish  in  the  water  which  was 
kept  boiling  by  the  stones  from  the  fire,  till  the 
whole  become  thickened  by  the  decomposed  sal 
mon  •  and  then  it  was  taken  out  to  be  eaten,  in  a 
sort  of  unseasoned  soup.  This  was  with  them  a 
favorite  mess. 

Another  mode  of  their  cooking  was  by  steam. 
This  was  done  by  building  a  large  fire,  upon  which 
a  layer  of  stones  was  placed,  which  becoming  well 
heated  through,  were  overspread  with  green  leaves 
and  pine  boughs.  Upon  these  the  fish,  muscles, 
clams.  &c.,  were  put  and  covered  closely  with  a 
mat,  to  confine  the  steam,  till  the  cooking  was 
done. 

In  this  way,  the  prisoners  found  the  clams  and 


CAPTIVE   OF   NOOTKA.  113 

muscles  were  well  done  and  tasted  very  good,  and 
the  salmon  was  better  than  that  done  after  the 
other  fashion. 

They  seldom  cooked  their  food  at  Nootka  in  any 
other  than  these  two  ways,  though  they  sometimes 
roasted  herring  and  sprats,  by  spitting  them  on  a 
stick  which  they  stuck  into  the  ground,  and  built  a 
fire  round  it.  The  roe  of  salmon  they  supported 
over  the  fire  between  the  ends  of  two  split  pieces 
of  pine,  till  it  was  roasted. 

At  their  meals,  the  king  and  chiefs  had  separate 
trays,  from  which  no  one  except  the  queen,  or  prin 
cipal  wife  of  the  chief,  was  allowed  to  eat. 

But  whenever  the  king  or  one  of  the  chiefs  wish 
ed  to  confer  a  great  mark  of  favor  on  one  of  the 
people,  he  would  call  him  to  him  and  give  him 
some  choice  morsel  from  his  tray. 

The  slaves,  of  which  there  were  many,  in  the 
village  that  had  been  captured  from  other  tribes,  in 
time  of  war,  fared  as  well  as  their  masters,  eating 
at  the  same  time,  and  of  the  same  food,  but  only 
feeding  froni  separate  trays. 
8  K 


114  CAPTIVE   OF  NOOTKA. 

Whenever  a  feast,  or  a  party,  was  given  by  a 
king  or  a  chief,  a  master  of  ceremonies  was  chosen, 
who  conducted  the  whole  with  great  decorum  and 
style. 

He  received  the  guests  as  they  entered  the  house, 
and  pointed  out  to  each  his  place  with  much  exact 
ness  and  perfect  order,  as  rank  and  standing  were 
strictly  attended  to  on  such  occasions,  and  no  one 
was  allowed  to  take  a  seat  without  regard  to  these. 

This  etiquette,  as  well  as  many  other  usages  of 
these  people  concerning  their  dress  and  entertain 
ments,  one  might  almost  view  as  a  prophetical  bur 
lesque  upon  the  refined  ways  of  civilized  life  at  a 
more  modern  date. 

Invitations  to  these  feasts  were  often  given  to  all 
the  people  of  the  village ;  and  in  making  prepara 
tions  for  it,  a  great  quantity  of  food  was  cooked  up 
to  waste.  Excessive  eating  was  a  condition  to  be 
complied  with  at  one  of  these  parties. 

He  who  gormandized  the  most  was  considered 
as  enjoying  the  entertainment  most  highly,  while 
the  host  felt  that  the  height  of  his  felicity  depended 


CAPTIVE  OF   NOOTKA.  115 

on  the  height  of  the  heaps  of  stewed  fish,  herring- 
spawn,  blubber,  clams,  &c.,  that  he  should  set  be 
fore  his  guests. 

It  was  the  custom,  when  one  of  these  entertain 
ments  was  over,  for  each  one  of  the  company  to 
convey  to  his  own  house,  all  the  food  that  remained 
in  his  tray,  after  he  had  eaten  what  he  could.  The 
king  and  the  chiefs  gave  the  contents  of  their  trays 
to  their  slaves,  to  be  carried  home  for  them ;  but  the 
others  took  each  his  portion  of  the  remains  of  the 
feast,  and  managed  to  get  home  with  it  as  well  as 
he  could. 

John  and  his  companion  made  pretty  awkward 
work  at  first,  in  this  kind  of  business ;  and  they 
felt  very  oddly  carrying  home,  at  arms-length,  the 
boiled  fish  and  other  food  that  they  had  received 
where  they  visited. 

But  they  soon  became  accustomed  to  it,  and 
were  very  glad  of  what  they  could  get  in  this  way. 

The  manner  in  which  these  Indians  prepared  the 
bark  of  trees,  of  which  they  made  their  cloth, 
mats,  baskets,  &c.,  was  to  soak  it  first,  a  fortnight, 


116  CAPTIVE   OF   NOOTKA. 

and  then  beat  it  between  a  block  fixed  for  the  pur 
pose,  and  an  instrument  of  bone,  or  hard  wood,  till 
all  the  brittle,  crumbly  part  was  separated  from  the 
fine  fibrous  parts,  and  left  it  soft  and  flexible,  in 
fine,  long  threads,  quite  even  and  delicate. 

These  threads  they  parceled  out,  rolling  each 
bunch  under  the  hand  till  it  became  closely  com 
bined  in  a  little  cord,  and  when  a  sufficient  number 
of  these  cords  were  made,  they  were  laid  close  to 
gether,  and  a  thread  strong  enough  to  hold  them 
fast  to  each  other,  interwoven  among  them,  some 
what  in  the  way  that  our  rush  and  cane  window- 
shades  are  made. 

This  web  formed  the  cloth  of  which  the  common 
people  at  Nootka  made  their  dresses,  and  many 
other  articles. 

If  they  wished  to  have  their  cloth  variegated, 
they  stained  the  threads  with  the  juice  of  berries, 
or  something  else,  before  they  were  woven. 

Some  of  the  dresses  were  painted  with  red  ochre, 
the  better  to  keep  out  the  rain. 

One  garment  generally  constituted  the  dress,  and 


CAPTIVE   OF   NOOTKA.  117 

this  was  a  sort  of  cloak  or  mantle,  which  they  call 
ed  kutsack — the  form  I  have  before  described. 

The  bottoms  of  some  of  these  dresses  were 
painted,  and  some  ornamented  with  a  border  of 
sea-otter  skin,  or  a  kind  of  gray  cloth  made  of  the 
hair  of  some  animal  which  was  obtained  from  the 
tribes  farther  at  the  south. 

In  the  winter,  they  wore  an  additional  garment, 
when  they  went  out.  This  was  a  sort  of  hood, 
with  a  place  so  formed  as  to  admit  the  head ;  and 
large  enough  to  come  down  behind  over  the  shoul 
ders  ;  and  before,  over  the  breast.  It  was  trimmed 
all  round  with  a  border  of  fur. 

The  chiefs  had  kutsacks  of  sea-otter  skin ;  but 
these  were  only  worn  on  great  occasions.  They 
had  also  cloaks  of  the  skin  of  a  large  animal,  which 
was  brought  to  them  by  the  Wickanninish  tribe. 

This  skin  was  so  dressed  as  to  be  left  in  its  per 
fect  form,  but  with  all  the  hair  taken  off  in  a  way 
that  showed  the  skin  white  and  soft  as  deer-skin, 
but  twice  as  thick. 

When  the  skin  was  dressed,  they  painted  it  with 


118  CAPTIVE   OF   NOOTKA. 

figures  of  various  kinds,  representing  human  heads, 
moons,  fishes,  canoes,  and  many  other  devices. 

They  called  the  name  of  this  skin  Metamelth. 
It  was  apparently  from  an  animal  of  the  moose 
kind. 

The  Indians  prized  it,  or  a  dress  of  it,  very  highly, 
and  considered  it  too  precious  to  be  put  on,  except 
when  they  wanted  to  make  the  greatest  display ;  it 
was,  therefore,  considered  as  the  war-dress  of  a 
king  or  chief. 

Strips  of  this  skin  were  cut  and  painted  for  gir 
dles,  borders  for  their  cloaks,  and  bracelets  for  their 
wrists  and  ankles. 

The  dress  of  the  females  differed  very  little  from 
that  of  the  men.  The  chief  dissimilarity  between 
them  was,  that  the  kutsack  of  the  female  was  so 
long  as  to  reach  the  feet,  and  fastened  close  under 
the  chin ;  while  that  of  the  men  was  tied  loosely 
on  one  shoulder,  and  reached  only  below  the  knee. 

When  they  went  out  on  any  excursion,  particu 
larly  when  whaling  was  the  object,  they  wore  a 
sort  of  cap,  made  of  their  cloth,  in  the  form  of  a 


CAPTIVE   OF    NOOTKA.  119 

sugar-loaf,  with  the  point  taken  off,  so  as  to  make 
the  top  flat. 

A  strip  of  the  metamelth  skin,  ornamented  with 
rows  of  small  white  shells,  was  attached  to  it  as  a 
tassel. 

The  caps  of  the  common  people  were  painted 
red ;  but  those  of  the  chiefs  were  diversified  with 
various  colors.  The  one  worn  by  the  king,  the 
crown  imperial,  was  larger  than  the  others,  and  on 
the  top,  had  an  ornament  in  form  of  an  urn,  to 
finish  it  off. 

In  the  front  was  painted  a  canoe,  with  a  har- 
pooner,  in  the  prow,  aiming,  and  ready  to  strike  at 
a  whale.  The  other  parts  of  the  cap  were  laid  in 
plaits  of  alternate  black  and  white.  They  called 
this  cap,  Seeya-pocks. 


120 


CHAPTER    XI. 

Description  of  the  Nootkans — their  habit  of  painting  ornaments — 
manner  of  fishing  for  Ife-maw — continuation  of  remarks  on 
their  personal  decorations  6fc. — nose  jewels. 

THE  personal  appearance  of  the  Indians  of  Noot- 
ka  was  found  by  our  young  hero  more  agreeable  to 
the  eye  than  that  of  any  other  tribes  that  he  saw. 

They  were  well  formed,  straight,  robust  and 
strong.  The  greatest  defect  in  their  proportions, 
was  in  their  legs  and  feet,  and  this  seemed  rather  the 
work  of  habit  than  of  nature  ;  as  it  arose  probably 
from  their  mode  of  sitting  upon  the  feet,  with  the 
legs  bent  under  them,  which  gave  them  a  heavy, 
clumsy  look. 

When  not  disguised  by  paint,  their  faces,  of  a 
coppery  hue,  and  an  oval  form,  were  fine  and  in 
telligent. 

Their  eyes,  bright  and  black,  were  rather  small ; — 


CAPTIVE   OF    NOOTKA  121 

the  nose  neither  flat  nor  too  prominent ; — their  lips 
thin  and  the  teeth  very  sound  and  white.  Their 
hair  was  long,  black  and  coarse.  Their  beards 
were  all  plucked  out  by  the  roots,  bearing  no  sign 
of  one,  but  making  the  faces  smooth,  among  all  the 
men  but  the  king,  who  had  let  his  grow  uncut, 
upon  the  upper  lip,  in  a  mustachio,  as  a  mark  of 
royal  dignity  and  distinction. 

The  stature  of  the  men  was  generally  about  five 
feet,  and  from  six  to  eight  inches  in  height.  But 
one  man  of  dwarfish  growth,  being  the  only  in 
stance  of  the  kind  that  John  saw,  was  thirty  years 
old,  and  only  three  feet,  three  inches  high.  He 
was,  however,  well  proportioned,  and  in  good  health. 

The  women  were  much  lighter  in  their  complex 
ions  than  the  men ;  many  of  them  not  being  darker 
than  the  women  in  some  parts  of  the  South  of  Eu 
rope.  They  were  very  modest  in  their  deportment, 
and  many  of  them  quite  beautiful.  Their  hair 
was  much  finer  than  that  of  the  men,  and  they 
took  great  pride  in  it. 

Maquina's  favorite  wife,  the  mother  of  Sat-sat, 
L 


122  CAPTIVE   OF  NOOTKA. 

was  a  Wickanninish  princess,  and  a  woman  whom 
John  thought,  would  have  been  called  handsome  in 
any  country.  She  was  tall  and  majestic  in  her 
1  figure,  of  quite  a  light  complexion ;  her  features  were 
finely  formed,  and  her  eyes  soft  and  languishing. 

The  women  were  much  neater  in  their  habits 
and  about  their  persons  than  the  men ;  and  one 
way  in  which  their  dress  differs,  which  I  forgot  to 
mention  before,  is,  that  the  former  had  sleeves  to 
their  kutsacks,  that  were  large  and  loose,  and 
reached  to  the  elbows. 

The  men  were  very  fond  of  painting  their  faces 
and  limbs,  and  they  would  often  spend  much  time 
in  performing  this  favorite  business  of  the  toilette. 
And,  after  great  patience  in  laying  on  the  paint,  in 
such  colors  and  figures  as  they  had  chosen,  if  the 
face  thus  coated  did  not  happen  to  suit  its  posses 
sor,  he  would  wash  it  all  clean,  and  begin  his  daub 
ing  anew. 

The  women  used  very  little  paint,  only  drawing 
a  black,  curved  line  over  each  eyebrow,  and  a 
bright  red  streak  from  each  corner  of  the  mouth, 


CAPTIVE    OF    NOOTKA.  123 

towards  the  ear ;  but  they  were  very  fond  of  orna 
ments,  such  as  ear  rings,  finger  rings,  necklaces, 
bracelets,  nose  jewels,  &c. 

Many  of  these  ornaments  were  made  of  brass 
and  copper ;  but  the  wives  of  the  king  and  chiefs 
had  their  nose  jewels  and  necklaces  of  a  small 
white  shell,  that  formed  a  kind  of  bead,  and  when 
strung  in  rows,  it  looked  very  beautiful. 

This  shell  which  they  called  Ife-maw,  they  valued 
very  highly.  It  was  about  as  large  round  as  a 
goose  quill ;  and  three  inches  long ;  of  a  cylindrical 
form,  a  little  curved,  and  tapering  gradually  to  a 
point  at  the  ends,  which  were  broken  off  by  the  na 
tives,  so  as  to  admit  of  its  being  run  on  a  string. 
It  was  of  a  polished  smoothness  and  white  as  snow, 
and  formed  a  very  handsome  ornament. 

The  ife-maw  formed  a  sort  of  money  among  the 
natives ;  and  five  fathoms  of  it,  strung  on  threads 
of  bark,  was  the  price  of  a  slave,  which  they  held 
as  very  valuable  property. 

It  was  brought  to  Nootka  principally,  by  other 
tribes,  as  very  little  of  it  could  be  found  there ;  but 


124  CAPTIVE   OF   NOOTKA. 

it  was  taken  in  great  abundance,  though  with  much 
labor  and  difficulty,  from  among  the  reefs  of  rocks 
on  the  coast  about  forty  miles  beyond. 

The  ife-maw  fisher  went  to  his  work  in  the  follow 
ing  way :  A  number  of  sharp  pine  pegs  being  fas 
tened  in  the  end  of  a  piece  of  plank,  so  as  to  form 
a  set  of  teeth,  he  fastened  on  the  plank,  a  stone  or 
some  other  weighty  matter,  so  as  to  carry  it  down 
in  the  water.  Then  he  fastened  the  plank  to  one 
end  of  a  pole,  to  the  other  end  of  which  he  tied  a 
line  of  such  a  length  that  he  could  let  it  down,  or 
take  it  up  at  will. 

Provided  with  this  odd  sort  of  a  machine  the 
Indian  went  out  in  his  canoe,  skimming  round  the 
reefs  where  he  thought  the  shells  grew. 

He  let  down  his  plank,  as  if  sounding,  till  it  touch 
ed  the  bottom,  and  then  lifting  it  and  letting  it  fall 
several  times,  would  at  length,  bring  it  up  with  the 
shells  fastened  on  the  ends  of  the  pegs. 

But  the  ife-maw  fisher  earned  his  treasures  by 
much  toil,  for  he  would  often  work  a  great  while 
to  bring  up  a  few  shells,  as  there  would  frequent- 


CAPTIVE   OF    NOOTKA.  125 

ly  come  up,  not  more  than  two  or  three  at  a 
time. 

In  addition  to  painting  their  faces,  sometimes, 
one  half  red,  and  the  other  black,  and  sometimes 
all  over  in  small  checks,  the  men  of  Nootka  had 
another  way  of  dressing  them,  that  was  certainly 
very  showy,  to  say  the  least ;  but  the  privilege  of 
doing  this  was  not  allowed  to  any  but  the  chiefs. 

After  spreading  the  face  all  over  with  bear's  oil, 
they  strewed  it  with  a  fine,  black,  shining  powder, 
till  it  quite  covered  it,  and  sticking  to  the  oil,  spar 
kled  in  the  sun,  and  glittered  like  silver. 

When  people  are  insincere,  or  unequal  in  their 
spirits,  or  behavior,  we  often  hear  it  figuratively 
said  of  them,  that  they  have  two  faces.  But  these 
whimsical  Indians  had,  literally,  many  faces,  or 
rather,  many  dresses  for  the  face,  and  they  changed 
them,  as  capriciously  as  a  fashionable  belle  will 
change  her  ball-dress. 

This  shining  powder,  which  the  Nootkans  va 
lued  very  highly,  they  called  pelpelth.  It  was 
brought  to  them  in  bags,  by  one  of  the  tribes  at  the 


126  CAPTIVE   OF    NOOTKA. 

North,  who  gathered  it  among  the  rocks,  and  sold 
it  at  a  high  price. 

From  this  tribe  which  bear  the  name  of  Newche- 
mass,  they  obtained  also  their  finest  paints. 

Though  the  natives  employed  so  much  paint 
about  their  persons,  as  it  was  put  on  with  oil,  their 
habit  of  going  into  the  sea  water  every  day,  to 
bathe,  did  not  injure  it  much,  if  any ;  and  when 
ever  they  wanted  to  remove  the  paint,  they  would 
go  to  a  place  where  there  was  fresh  water,  and 
scrub  themselves  with  sand  and  rushes. 

When  going  to  a  festival,  or  on  any  great  occa 
sion,  the  Indians  spent  much  time,  not  only  in  pre 
paring  their  faces,  but  also  in  dressing  the  head, 
which  was  done  in  the  following  way  : 

The  hair,  being  liberally  oiled,  was  drawn  up, 
smooth  and  carefully,  on  the  top  of  the  head,  and 
fastened  in  a  tuft,  with  a  large  green  branch  of 
spruce  or  pine,  with  all  the  leaves  on,  confined  in  it, 
and  touched  with  turpentine  or  gum,  so  as  to  make 
the  white  down  with  which  it  was  to  be  powdered, 
adhere. 


CAPTIVE   OF   NOOTKA.  127 

Then,  the  head  and  branch  were  carefully  orna 
mented  by  a  semi-covering  of  the  said  white  down, 
which  was  obtained  from  the  eagles  that  inhabited 
the  coast  in  great  numbers. 

This  must  have  been  a  fanciful,  and  somewhat 
tasteful  head-dress ;  if  not  as  costly  as  a  whole  bird 
of  Paradise,  worn  by  a  fashionable  lady,  it  was  cer 
tainly  not  a  more  odd  or  strange  imagination  for 
head  gear;  and  if  a  beautiful,  fair  face  had  been 
beneath  it,  it  might  have  had  quite  an  effect. 

The  white  down  of  the  eagle,  and  the  fresh,  green 
branch  from  the  forest,  seemed  to  be  quite  tastefully 
chosen,  and  they  might  have  set  well  above  the 
precty  face  of  a  white  lady,  who  in  giving  up  her 
bird,  with  its  sweeping  trail,  to  perch  upon  the 
head  of  the  Indian,  above  his  painted  or  shining, 
plaistered  face,  would  have  made  no  bad  exchange, 
and  put  things  more  in  keeping. 

Or,  if  a  lady  would  even  set  out  the  tree  first  in 
her  head,  and  then  let  the  bird  light  upon  it,  it 
would  seem  more  like  nature ;  and  nature  appears 
to  be  the  object  when  one  carries  an  entire  fowl 


128  CAPTIVE   OF    NOOTKA. 

about  upon  the  uppermost  part  of  the  person,  how 
ever  much  art  may  be  employed  in  placing  and 
displaying  the  beautiful  specimen  of  the  workman 
ship  of  its  Maker. 

The  men  as  well  as  the  women  of  Nootka,  wore 
bracelets  of  painted  leather  and  copper,  and  nose 
jewels  of  various  materials,  arid  formed  in  divers 
shapes  ;  such  as  hearts,  diamonds,  &c. 

The  chiefs,  beside  the  brass  and  copper  orna 
ments  for  the  nose,  had  also  a  bright  bluish-col 
ored  shell,  of  a  twisted,  conical  form,  and  about 
half  an  inch  long,  which  they  wore  suspended  by  a 
wire,  or  a  thread,  that  went  through  the  gristle  of 
the  nose,  in  a  hole  that,  made  in  infancy  for  the 
purpose,  was  kept  open  by  means  of  a  wooden  pin, 
and  enlarged  till  it  became  of  the  size  of  the  pipe 
stem,  in  diameter. 

The  common  people,  who  could  not  afford  to 
wear  a  more  expensive  ornament,  had,  many  of 
them,  smooth  sticks  of  wood,  polished  for  the  pur 
pose,  which,  passing  through  the  perforated  place, 


CAPTIVE   OF   NOOTKA.  129 

came  out  on  each  side,  several  inches  beyond  the 
face. 

Thompson  used  to  call  the  wearers  of  these 
strange  ornaments,  *  Sprit-sail-yard  fellows ;'  and 
as  he  saw  one  of  them  coming  towards  him,  with 
an  air  of  importance  which  seemed  to  him  propor 
tionate  to  the  length  of  the  stick,  he  would  hold  up 
his  hand  so  that  the  stick  should  come  violently 
against  it  in  passing,  to  the  no  small  discomfort  of 
its  wearer's  nose.  This,  he  said,  he  did,  <  in  order 
to  brace  them  up  a  little  to  the  breeze. ' 


9 


130 


CHAPTER    XII. 

Of  the  religion — the  government — certain  offices — the  disposi 
tion  of  the  natives — their  oratory — their  diseases,  cures,  c$rc.  — 
the  climate. 

BEFORE  our  narrative  is  resumed,  it  may  be  well 
to  say  something  concerning  the  religion,  govern 
ment,  &c.  of  the  people  whom  it  concerns. 

John  found  that  the  Nootka  Indians  had  a  belief 
in  a  Supreme  Being,  whom  they  called  Quahootze  ; 
and  who,  they  said,  was  one  great  Tyee,  the  great 
est  of  all  kings. 

They  said  he  lived  in  the  sky; — that  he  gave 
them  all  their  fish,  and  could  withhold  it  or  take  it 
from  them  when  he  pleased. 

They  usually  went  alone  into  a  retired  place  in 
the  woods,  or  into  the  water,  to  worship,  and  offer 
up  their  prayers.  Whenever  they  bathed,  they 
addressed  a  prayer,  in  a  few  words,  to  God,  entreat 
ing  him  to  preserve  their  health  and  to  bless  their 


CAPTIVE   OF   NOOTKA.  131 

labors  while  fishing,  to  give  them  success  in  whal 
ing,  war,  and  other  enterprises. 

Whenever  they  were  going  to  war,  or  a  whaling, 
their  prayers  always  seemed  to  be  offered  with 
more  fervor  and  energy,  than  at  any  other  time. 

When  they  went  into  the  woods  for  devotional 
purposes,  they  often  retired  to  the  distance  of  a 
mile  or  two;  and  this  secrecy,  .T.)hn  sometiires  sus 
pected,  arose  from  their  wi  :i  to  address  God  on 
account  of  some  family  or  private  quarrel,  in  such 
a  way,  or  with  such  requests,  as  they  wanted  to 
keep  from  all  human  ears. 

He  once  found  a  woman  in  the  forest,  two  miles 
from  the  village,  kneeling,  with  her  eyes  closed 
and  her  face  turned  upward,  towards  heaven,  utter 
ing  in  a  lamentable  tone,  a  prayer,  in  which  she  re 
peated  with  great  fervor,  Wocash  Ah-  Welth  ?  (good 
Lord.)  He  came  close  to  her,  but  she  seemed  wrap 
ped  in  her  devotions,  and  insensible  to  every  thing 
around  her. 

The  women  frequently  retired  in  this  way ;  and 
when  they  returned  to  the  village,  their  silence  and 


132  CAPTIVE   OF   NOOTKA. 

melancholy  looks  told  on  what  their  minds  had 
been  employed. 

When  the  Nootkans  were  going  to  war  with 
another  tribe,  they  passed  much  time  in  the  water, 
where  they  scrubbed  themselves  from  head  to  foot, 
with  bushes  and  briers  till  they  were  covered  with 
blood,  while  all  the  time  they  repeated  a  prayer, 
that  may  be  translated  thus  : 

'  Great  God  !  let  me  live — not  be  sick — find  the 
enemy — not  fear  him — find  him  asleep,  and  kill  a 
great  many  many  of  him.' 

Independent  of  this  scratching  ceremony,  which 
was  done  by  way  of  hardening  them  for  war,  the 
idea  of  their  going  into  the  sea  to  worship  God, 
had  a  good  deal  of  beauty  and  sublimity  in  it.  It 
was  certainly  a  noble  temple  that  they  chose,  in 
this,  as  well  as  in  the  forest,  which  was  also  a 
grand  sanctuary  with  many  firm  pillars,  beautiful 
curtains,  and  filled  with  the  sounds  of  music  from 
the  voices  of  the  birds  and  the  sweeping  of  the 
winds. 

The  parents  of  twin  children,  the  natives  consid- 


CAPTIVE    OF    NOOTKA.  133 

ered  as  being  favored  with  some  peculiar  notice 
and  with  special  communication  from  Q,uahootze, 
and  their  persons  were  held  as  too  sacred  to  mingle 
with  others  at  their  festivals,  or  to  do  any  labor 
for  two  years. 

During  this  time,  they  lived  secluded  lives,  being 
provided  with  food  by  the  others ;  and  wearing  no 
ornaments,  they  kept  away  from  all  amusements, 
and  became  recluse  in  everything. 

The  father  wore  around  his  head  a  red  fillet  as  a 
sign  of  solemnity,  and  always  appeared  serious  and 
thoughtful.  He  became  a  kind  of  priest,  and  went 
daily  to  the  mountain  with  a  chief's  rattle  in  his 
hand,  to  pray  Quahootze  to  bring  fish  into  their 
waters,  and  to  sing  and  make  music  to  him  with 
the  rattle. 

He  never  went  out,  except  on  such  an  errand  as 
this,  and  to  sing  and  perform  religious  rites  and 
ceremonies  over  the  sick. 

The  government  of  the  Nootka  Indians  was 
vested  in  a  hereditary  king,  and  descended  to  his 


134  CAPTIVE    OF    NOOTKA. 

eldest  male  heir.  But  in  case  of  his  dying  without 
a  son,  it  went  to  his  brother. 

The  king  had  no  legal  right  over  the  property  of 
his  subjects,  nor  did  it  appear  that  he  expected 
them  to  contribute  to  his  support  any  more  than  to 
that  of  each  other. 

But  he  was  the  head  of  their  councils,  and  their 
leader  in  war,  in  the  management  of  which,  his 
power  was  absolute. 

The  right  of  holding  slaves  was  shared  between 
him  and  the  chiefs,  but  the  subject  did  not  possess 
this  privilege.  The  slaves  were  people  taken  in 
war,  from  other  tribes,  and  considered  the  king's 
property,  which  he  divided,  according  to  his  own 
judgment,  among  the  chiefs,  and  with  due  regard 
to  their  rank  and  merits. 

At  the  age  of  seventeen,  the  eldest  son  of  a  chief 
was  considered  a  chief  himself;  and  whenever  a 
father,  who  was  a  chief,  made  a  present,  it  was 
always  done  in  the  name  of  his  eldest  son. 

The    chiefs    frequently   purchased    their   wives 


CAPTIVE    OF    NOOTKA.  135 

when  they  were  not  more  than  eight  or  nine  years 
old,  to  prevent  their  being  engaged  to  others ;  but 
they  remained  with  their  parents  till  sixteen,  or 
thereabouts. 

Among  themselves,  the  Nootkans  seemed  pacific 
and  inoffensive,  and  manifested  naturally  good 
tempers.  Quarrels  seldom  occurred  between  any 
of  them. 

But  if  they  happened  to  get  a  little  oifended,  they 
had  a  way  of  seeming  terribly  enraged,  which  ap 
peared  to  be  rather  a  matter  of  fashion  than  of 
feeling. 

This  they  did  by  kicking,  spitting,  foaming  at 
the  mouth,  and  stamping  with  great  fury. 

An  exhibition  of  this  sort  was  made  more  by 
custom,  and  for  effect,  than  for  any  feelings  of 
malignity ;  and  the  same  show  of  conduct  was 
carried  on  in  their  assemblages  for  public  speeches, 
where,  he  who  raved  and  stamped  with  the  most 
violence,  and  went  through  the  greatest  variety  of 
contortions,  was  considered  the  greatest  orator. 

The  people  of  Nootka  were  very  healthy,  and 


136  CAPTIVE   OF   NOOTKA. 

seldom  had  any  disease  among  them,  but  the  cholic, 
which  they  commonly  cured  by  rubbing  the  bowels 
of  the  patient,  till  the  pain  was  allayed. 

They  cured  the  rheumatism  by  scarifying  the 
part  aifected ;  and  their  only  remedy  for  a  wound 
was,  to  wash  it  in  salt  water,  and  bind  it  up  with 
a  piece  of  bark,  or  cloth. 

They  were  very  skilful  in  the  management  of 
dislocated  or  fractured  limbs,  and  when  they  were 
set  and  properly  dressed,  they  took  great  care  to 
have  them  supported  by  blocks,  in  a  right  position, 
and  they  had  generally  perfect  success  in  perform 
ing  the  cure. 

In  cases  of  sickness,  while  those  who  performed 
the  office  of  physician  and  nurse,  were  busy  in 
their  respective  ways,  the  holy  man,  or  conjuror, 
was  employed  in  going  through  certain  strange 
gestures,  repeating  his  words  of  wisdom,  singing 
and  blowing,  to  blow  off  the  evil  spirit.  If  it  was 
a  case  of  cholic,  the  patient,  after  going  through  the 
rubbing,  was  wrapped  in  a  bear  skin,  to  produce 
perspiration. 


CAPTIVE   OF   NOOTKA.  137 

With  such  treatment  the  sick  generally  recover 
ed,  and  a  death  among  them,  where  the  population 
was  about  fifteen  hundred,  was  a  thing  of  rare 
occurrence.  The  natives  commonly  lived  to  be 
very  old. 

The  climate  at  Nootka,  and  the  neighboring  re 
gion,  was  found  by  our  adventurers,  to  be  very 
mild.  The  spring,  summer  and  autumn  were  un 
commonly  delightful;  and  the  winter,  which  did 
not  set  in  till  the  last  of  December,  was  short,  and 
not  at  all  severe.  Water  seldom  froze  to  a  depth  of 
more  than  three  inches,  and  the  snow,  in  its  great 
est  fall,  was  not  more  than  four  inches  deep. 

But  what  did  not  fall  in  snow,  did  in  rain ;  for  it 
frequently  rained  during  the  winter  months,  five  or 
?ix  days  in  succession. 

M 


138 


CHAPTER    XIII. \ 

Population  of  Nootka — making  of  canoes — pursuit  of  sea-otters 
— description  of  one — the  Indian's  fish-hook  and  fishing — 
Maquina's  household — instruments  of  music. 

I  HAVE  stated  that  the  inhabitants  of  Nootka 
were  about  fifteen  hundred,  and  the  buildings  were 
about  twenty  in  number. 

But.  besides  the  Nootka  tribe,  there  was  a 
small  tribe  whom  they  had  conquered  and  made 
subject  to  them,  and  who  inhabited  a  cluster 
of  small  houses,  that  stood  near  the  other  twenty 
of  the  village. 

This  tribe  was  called  Klahars.  They  lived 
by  themselves,  but  had  no  chiefs  of  their  own, 
being  wholly  under  Maquina's  government. 

I  dare  say,  my  young  reader,  that  you  are 
now  growing  impatient  to  have  me  resume  the 


CAPTIVE    OF    NOOTKA.  139 

thread  of  my  story,  and  that  you  think  1  have 
made  a  very  long  digression  from  it. 

And  so  I  have,  but  it  has  enabled  you  to 
understand  the  better,  what  sort  of  a  place  John 
was  in,  what  kind  of  people  he  was  among,  and 
how  many  odd  ways  and  whims  he  had  to 
conform  to,  in  his  new  condition,  where  he  had 
literally  '  new  lords  and  new  laws.' 

You  can  now  imagine  just  how  one  of  the 
Indians  looked  when  dressed  for  an  excursion,  or 
decked  out  for  a  feast. 

You  now  want  to  be  told  how  they  made  their 
canoes;  for  they  were  things  of  so  much  impor 
tance  that  we  shall  often  make  mention  of  them. 

The  first  step  towards  this  work,  was  to  fell  a 
tree,  by  working  round  it  with  the  chisel,  which 
was  a  very  slow  and  laborious  business,  especially 
when  they  wanted  a  canoe  of  the  largest  kind, 
for  they  made  them  of  all  sizes,  from  that  which 
would  contain  only  one  man,  up  to  one  that  would 
hold  forty. 

The  largest  were  the  war  canoes.     It  took  three 


140  CAPTIVE   OF   NOOTKA. 

Indians  about  a  day,  to  fell  a  tree,  which  being 
done,  they  took  of  the  trunk,  the  length  they 
wanted,  and  then  dug  it  out  with  their  chisels 
inside,  and  fashioned  it  to  their  minds  on  the  out 
side. 
^ 

They  then  put  light  combustibles  round,  and 
in  it,  and  made  a  blaze,  which  took  off  all  the 
loose  splinters,  and  left  it  quite  black.  The  next 
step  was  to  rub  it  hard  all  over,  with  a  piece  of 
matting,  till  it  became  quite  smooth  and  polished. 

The  inside  was  then  painted  red,  with  red  ochre, 
and  the  figure  of  a  bird,  such  as  a  duck  or  some 
other  water-fowl  formed  of  separate  pieces  of 
wood  and  painted,  and  then  divided  and  fastened 
on,  the  head  part  on  the  prow,  and  the  tail,  on  the 
stern  of  the  canoe. 

The  war-canoes  were  painted  on  the  outside, 
with  white  chalk,  in  figures  representing  men's 
heads,  moons,  eagles,  whales,  &c. 

The  others  were  ornamented  with  double  rows  of 
white  shells,  that  formed  a  kind  of  bead- work  all 
round  them,  and  had  a  very  pretty  effect  as  they 


CAPTIVE   OF   NOOTKA.  141 

were  skimming  along  over  the  surface  of  the  wa 
ters,  looking  like  things  half  bird,  half  fish. 

The  Indians  used  the  paddle  with  great  dex 
terity,  and  gliding  swiftly  over  the  waves,  kept 
time  to  its  stroke  by  some  wild  musical  strains. 
They  always  had  a  song  for  every  occasion,  which 
varied  according  to  the  nature  of  the  business  of 
the  excursion. 

John  used  frequently  to  go  out  with  them  in 
these  light  skimmers  of  the  sea;  and  we  will  now 
imagine  him  with  a  company  of  natives  dressed 
as  they  have  been  described,  and  topped  off  with 
their  sugar-loaf  caps,  going  out  in  pursuit  of  the 
sea-otter. 

This  animal  was  to  John  a  very  beautiful  sight 
as  it  sported  round  the  canoes,  and  would  dive 
suddenly  under  water,  and  come  out  some  where  at 
a  distance,  as  if  playing  at  bo-peep. 

He  found  the  length  of  the  otter  to  be  about 
six  feet  from  the  head  to  the  tip  of  the  tail.  It  was 
of  a  beautiful  glossy  black  all  over  except  a  white 
stripe  on  the  top  of  the  head,  and  a  little  tip  of  it 


142  CAPTIVE   OF    NOOTKA. 

on  the  end  of  the  tail,  which  tapered  off  to  a  point; 
but  it  was  thick  and  bushy  near  the  body. 

As  the  otter  swam  along,  with  its  head  entire 
ly  above  water,  having  between  its  sharp,  upright 
ears  a  tuft  of  long  hair  that  stood  erect,  and  made 
its  head  look  as  if  it  had  three  short  hori -s,  John 
thought  he  had  never  seen  a  more  beautiful  object. 

The  skin  of  this  creature  was  con.-idered  very 
valuable  by  the  natives.  The  young  sea-otters 
were  so  exceedingly  small,  that  when  John  first 
saw  them  he  was  puzzled  to  make  out  what  they 
could  be. 

A  tror>p  of  them  came  swimming  beside  or 
round  the  old  one,  and  were  not  larger  than  rats, 
and  our  hero,  after  some  time,  discovered  it  to 
be  a  mother  with  her  family  of  baby  otters,  iiiat 
followed  her  through  the  waves  as  the  chickens  fol 
low  the  hen  over  the  field. 

The  fish-hook  used  by  the  natives  when  John 
w^nt  among  them,  was  formed  by  a  sharp-bearded 
piece  of  bone  inserted  in  a  piece  of  wood,  and 
bound  in  by  a  string  of  whale-sinew;  but  when 


CAPTIVE   OF  NOOTKA.  143 

they  found  how  much  faster  they  could  take  the 
fish  with  the  iron  hooks  that  he  made,  they  were, 
for  once,  willing  to  give  up  their  own  old  way,  and 
use  the  new-fashioned  hook. 

In  fishing  for  salmon,  they  baited  the  hook  with  a 
sprat,  and  fastening  the  line  to  the  end  of  the  pad 
dle  with  which  they  sped  their  canoe,  let  it  down, 
and  kept  it  in  motion-as  if  alive,  under  the  water, 
till  the  salmon  snapped  at  it  and  was  caught  by 
the  -hook. 

In  taking  the  whale  they  were  very  dexterous. 
To  kill  him,  they  struck  at  him  with  a  kind  of 
javelin  or  harpoon  of  their  own  invention,  and  made 
of  wood,  bone,  shell,  and  whale  sinew. 

The  whale  was  considered  by  them  as  the  r^yal 
mark,  and  no  person,  however  near  he  might  be, 
was  permitted  to  strike  at  him,  till  the  king's  har 
poon  had  first  drawn  blood.  It  was  held  as  a 
sacrilegious  deed  for  a  common  person  to  strike  the 
king's  fish  before  his  majesty  and  the  chiefs  had 
killed  him. 

I  do  not  know  exactly  how  large  a  number  of 


144  CAPTIVE   OF   NOOTKA. 

people  comprised  the  family  in  which  our  friends 
John  and  Thompson  had  to  live;  but  the  slaves 
alone,  of  Maquina's  household,  were  about  fifty, 
including  male  and  female,  some  of  which  were 
purchased  from  other  tribes,  and  some  were  taken 
in  war. 

I  have  alluded  to  the  music  of  the  Nootkans, 
but  not  particularly.  Their  tunes  were  soft  and 
plaintive,  and  very  harmonious. 

When  they  sang,  their  voices  were  accompanied 
by  some  rude  kind  of  instrument.  Their  drum,  I 
think,  I  have  described.  The  noise  it  made  was 
similar  to  that  of  the  empty  cask  when  the  head  is 
drummed  on,  and  very  loud. 

The  rattle  and  pipe,  or  whistle,  were  the  king's 
instruments,  and  only  used  by  him  and  the  chiefs, 
or  some  honorable  personage. 

The  rattle  was  formed  of  a  piece  of  seal-skin,  in 
the  shape  of  a  fish,  and  painted  red.  The  inside 
contained  small  pebbles  enough  to  make  the  music, 
and  it  had  a  handle  by  which  it  was  held  and 
shaken. 


CAPTIVE   OF   NOOTKA.  145 

I  suspect  it  was  as  noisy  a  fish  as  ever  had  a 
being,  and  that  it  was  longer  in  motion  than  any 
other  '  fish  out  of  water.' 

The  whistle  was  made  of  a  short  piece  of  the 
leg-bone  of  a  deer;  and  sent  forth  a  sprightly, 
shrill  sound.  Thus,  a  part  of  the  animal's  leg  kept 
going,  when  the  rest  of  him  had  long  been,  as  the 
chemist  would  say,  '  decomposed ; '  and,  like  the 
farmer's  boy  that  the  poet  describes,  it  '  whistled  as 
it  went,  for  want  of  thought.' 

The  Nootkans  were,  on  the  whole,  a  queer  set  of 
people;  and  they  might  truly  be  said  to  have 
'  sought  out  many  inventions,'  though  some  of 
these  were  not  the  wisest  in  the  world. 

Another  sort  of  instrument  that  they  used,  was  a 
sort  of  Castanet,  formed  of  cockle-shells,  tied  toge 
ther  and  shaken  to  a  tune  which  the  musician  sung. 

This,  I  think,  was  quite  a  pretty  fancy ;  and  I 
suspect  it  originated  in  the  head  of  some  poetical 

savage, 

10  N 


146 


CHAPTER    XIV. 

Different  tribes  of  natives — some  of  their  customs — dressing  for 
a  visit — manner  of  making  a  bargain — lodging  of  the  visit' 
ers — their  arms. 

So  many  different  tribes  of  natives  came  to  visit 
those  of  Nootka,  that  our  captives  had  an  oppor 
tunity  of  observing  a  great  variety  of  manners  and 
looks,  some  of  which  were  disgusting,  some  terrific, 
and  others  very  amusing. 

The  Wickanninish  was  the  tribe  to  which  ~Y-ya- 
tinhla-no,  the  mother  of  Sat-sat,  and  Maquina's 
favorite  Arcomah,  or  queen,  belonged.  She  was 
the  daughter  of  their  king. 

They  lived  at  the  north,  about  two  hundred 
miles  from  Nootka,  and  had  among  them,  from  six 
to  seven  hundred  warriors.  In  their  persons,,  they 
were  robust,  and  in  their  spirit,  very  courageous. 
They  had  broad  faces,  but  heads  that,  from  their 


CAPTIVE    OF    NOOTKA.  147 

manner  of  pressing  and  binding  them  when  young, 
rose  high,  somewhat  in  the  sugar-loaf  form.  They 
often  visited  Nootka,  and  a  close  friendship  sub- 
sisted  between  the  two  nations. 

The  Kla-iz-zarts  belonged  about  three  hun 
dred  miles  to  the  south,  and  were  a  numerous 
and  powerful  tribe,  having  nearly  a  thousand  war 
riors. 

They  were  more  neatly  dressed,  were  more 
pleasing  and  mild  in  their  manners,  and  appeared 
more  civilized  than  any  other  tribe.  They  were 
sprightly,  and  affable,  and  much  celebrated  for 
their  singing  and  dancing. 

Their  canoes  were  more  finely  finished  and 
ornamented,  and  all  their  workmanship  manifested 
greater  skill  than  appeared  in  any  other  tribe. 

Their  complexions  were  fairer  than  those  of 
Nootka,  their  noses  not  so  prominent,  and  their 
eyes  smaller.  Their  heads  were  flattened  on  the 
top,  as  if  pressed  by  a  weight;  and  their  stature 
was  rather  shorter  than  that  of  the  Nootkans. 

They   had    one   practice   not   followed   by  any 


148  CAPTIVE   OF^  NOOTKA. 

other  tribe ;  it  was  that  of  plucking  out,  not  only 
their  beards,  but  their  eyebrows  also,  so  as  not  to 
leave  a  sign  of  it  remaining. 

They  manifested  more  taste  and  skill,  than  any 
others,  in  decorating  and  painting  their  persons, 
and  some  of  them  would  have  a  dozen  holes  in 
their  ears,  through  which  they  passed  little  strings 
of  beads  about  two  inches  long,  and  of  various 
colors. 

These  people  were  great  whalers,  and  very  ex 
pert  in  taking  the  sea-otter,  the  metamelth,  and  the 
beaver.  Of  the  hair  of  the  latter,  and  that  of  the 
tiger-cat,  they  manufactured  a  handsome  kind  of 
gray  cloth. 

The  Eskquates  were  a  tribe  about  as  large  as 
the  Wickanninish,  and  were  tributary  to  Maquina. 

The  Aitizzarts  were  a  smaller  tribe,  who  were 
also  tributary  to  Nootka,  and  greatly  resembled  its 
inhabitants  in  their  appearance  and  practices. 
They  lived  about  forty  miles  up  the  sound. 

Farther  to  the  northward  were  the  Cayuquets,  a 
more  numerous  tribe  than  the  Nootkans,  by  whom 


CAPTIVE   OF   NOOTKA.  149 

they  were  considered  such  bad  warriors,  and  so  de 
ficient  in  courage,  that  they  said  they  had  little 
hearts,  like  those  of  birds. 

John  saw  a  great  many  tribes  of  which  I  shall 
not  make  particular  mention;  but  of  all  that  he 
saw,  the  most  ugly  and  frightful  looking,  were  the  ' 
Newchemass,    who    lived   at  a   great  distance   in 
land. 

Their  complexions  were  darker,  their  hair  coarser, 
and  their  stature  shorter  than  those  of  any  others ; 
and  they  were  extremely  squalid  about  their  per 
sons. 

Their  beards  grew  long  like  a  Jew's  :  their  dress 
was  a  kutsack  of  wolf  skin,  with  tails  hanging 
from  top  to  bottom  of  the  garment.  Sometimes, 
they  wore  a  mantle  of  cloth.  Their  hair  was  left 
to  hang  down  loose  behind ;  but  that  on  the  other 
parts  of  the  head  was  brought  round  the  forehead 
like  a  fillet,  and  confined  by  a  strip  of  cloth,  or 
namented  with  rows  of  shells. 

Their  weapons  were  the  Cheetoolth,  or  war  club, 


150  CAPTIVE    OF    NOOTKA. 

formed  of  whale  bone,  daggers,  and  bows  and  ar 
rows,  and  a  bone  or  copper  spear. 

The  merchandise  they  brought  to  trade  with, 
was  the  shining  black  mineral  which  I  have 
spoken  of  by  the  name  of  pelpelth,  which  sparkled 
on  the  Indian  faces:  some  wolfskins,  dried  salmon, 
the  roe  of  fish,  red  paint,  clams,  and  a  coarse 
matting. 

As  they  had  to  come  a  great  distance,  and  a  part 
of  it  by  land,  they  used  to  make  longer  visits  at 
Nootka,  than  any  other  tribe,  in  order  to  recover 
from  their  fatigue.  On  these  occasions,  they 
joined  in  the  amusements  and  taught  their  own 
songs,  &x:.  to  the  Nootkians. 

The  things  which  other  tribes  brought  for  sale, 
or  for  presents,  were  principally  train-oil,  whale  or 
seal  blubber,  fish  of  various  kinds,  clams,  muscles, 
a  kind  of  fruit  called  yama,  that  was  pressed  and 
dried,  cloth,  otter  skins  and  slaves. 

They  also  brought  the  Ife-maw,  wild  ducks,  and 
a  very  pleasant  kind  of  root,  called  Quanoose. 
This  root  seemed  to  take  the  place  of  the  potato. 


CAPTIVE    OF    NOOTKA.  151 

It  was  pear-shaped,  and  about  as  large  as  a  small 
onion.  It  was  brought  in  baskets,  all  ready  cooked 
by  steam,  and  fit  for  eating,  and  was  sweet,  mealy, 
and  pleasant  to  the  taste. 

But  the  depraved  taste  of  the  natives  would  riot 
be  satisfied,  even  with  this  delicious  root,  without 
the  dressing  of  train-oil  to  make  it  go  down  well. 

Many  of  these  things  were  offered  to  Maquina 
as  tributary  gifts  in  token  of  his  superiority;  but 
the  cunning  ones  who  brought  them  usually  took 
good  care  to  get  full  their  worth,  and  sometimes 
more,  in  presents  from  the  king  and  his  people. 

When  a  company  of  visitors  came,  there  was  al 
ways  a  great  feast  made  for  them,  and  tub  after 
tub  was  filled  with  blubber,  roe,  salmon,  &c.  of 
which  all  the  men,  women  and  children  of  the  vil 
lage  were  invited  to  partake. 

As  they  had  no  intoxicating  liquors,  and  knew 
no  way  of  making  any,  their  intemperance  on  these 
occasions  was  shown  by  inordinate  eating,  their 
drink  being  only  water. 

The  visitors,  when  they  got  within  a  few  miles 


152  CAPTIVE   OF   NOOTKA. 

of  the  village,  used  to  stop  under  the  lee  of  some 
high  rock,  and  attend  to  the  toilette.  Here  they 
dressed  themselves  for  the  party,  in  all  their  best 
attire,  and  put  on  their  best  faces,  by  painting, 
oiling,  powdering,  &c. 

They  did  as  many  others  do,  when  going  to  a 
party ;  they  put  on  all  their  ornaments,  took  great 
pains  to  dress  their  heads,  and  to  make  a  dazzling 
appearance ;  an  attempt  not  always  confined  to 
those  only,  who  are  going  to  the  king's  festi 
val. 

On  arriving  at  the  shore,  they  were  met  by  the 
king,  who  first  invited  them  to  eat;  when  they 
brought  him  such  goods  as  they  supposed  he  wish 
ed  to  receive.  After  this,  other  natives  were  al 
lowed  to  purchase,  the  strangers  taking  good  care 
to  keep  their  merchandise  under  guard  in  their 
canoes,  till  sold,  to  avoid  their  being  stolen  by  the 
light-fingers  among  the  natives,  who  considered 
pilfering  no  sin  if  it  was  not  discovered. 

But  when  some  particular  purchase  was  the  ob 
ject  of  the  new  comer,  he  would  keep  his  canoe  a 


CAPTIVE    OF    NOOTKA.  153 

little  off  from  the  shore,  and  send  forward  an  am 
bassador,  tricked  out  in  his  best,  and  with  his 
head  touched  off  with  the  white  down,  to  stand 
in  the  prow  and  display  his  goods,  making  known 
the  purpose  of  their  owner  and  the  price  that  he 
was  willing  to  give  in  such  articles  as  were  shown, 
for  the  purchase  he  wished  to  make. 

If  the  bargain  was  agreed  on,  the  exchange  was 
made  at  once. 

On  visits  either  of  friendship  or  trade,  none  of 
the  strangers,  except  the  kings  and  chiefs,  were 
alloAved  to  sleep  on  shore  ;  and  they  lodged  at  the 
king's  house.  The  others  passed  the  night  in  their 
canoes.  This  was  partly  for  the  preservation  of 
their  own  goods  from  the  inhabitants,  and  partly 
an  arrangement  of  theirs,  to  prevent  danger  to 
themselves  and  their  property  from  their  crafty  and 
thievish  visitors. 

These  people  were  always  armed;  the  com 
moners,  with  a  dagger,  slung  at  the  neck,  and 
hanging  behind  by  a  strip  of  metamelth,  and  some 
times  \vith  a  bow  and  arrows:  but  the  latter  had 


154  CAPTIVE   OF  NOOTKA. 

almost  grown  out  of  use,  in  consequence  of  the 
introduction  of  fire  arms  among  them. 

The  chiefs,  in  addition  to  the  dagger,  wore  the 
cheetoolth,  or  war  club,  of  which  I  have  spoken. 
This  weapon,  made  of  the  bone  of  a  whale,  with 
a  blade  eighteen  inches  long,  three  broad,  and  very 
heavy,  was  a  powerful  thing  in  the  hand  of  a  strong 
man.  The  blade  was  thick  in  the  middle,  but  thin 
ned  off  to  an  edge  on  each  side,  and  expanded  in 
width  towards  the  end,  to  increase  the  force  of 
the  blow. 

It  was  covered  with  figures,  such  as,  the  sun, 
moon,  men's  heads,  and  other  devices  of  curious 
inventions ;  and  the  hilt  wrought  in  the  form  of  a 
human  head,  was  fancifully  inlaid  with  shells,  and 
had  a  strip  of  metamelth  fastened  to  it,  by  which  to 
sling  it  over  the  shoulder. 

They  had,  also,  a  sort  of  spear,  headed  with  cop 
per,  or  the  bone  of  the  sting-ray,  which  was  a 
weapon  of  great  destruction  when  wielded  by  one 
of  a  firm  hand  and  bold  spirit. 


155 


CHAPTER    XV. 

Place  of  retirement  for  worship — its  scenery — the  Sabbath — a 
ship  seen — a  thunder  storm — hard  fare — arts  of  other  natives 
— a  young  girl  tries  to  win  John — the  Nootkans  m;K.n?  to 
winter  quarters — the  place. 

DURING  all  this  exhibition  of  new  faces,  new 
modes,  and  new  things,  John  and  his  companion 
fared  better  than  they  could  have  expected  at  the 
beginning  of  their  sorrows. 

But  day  after  day  did  their  longing  eyes  stretch 
out  their  sight  in  vain  over  the  great  waters,  to 
catch  a  glimpse  of  some  sail  that  might  give  them 
a  gleaming  hope  of  deliverance. 

About  a  mile  from  the  village  there  was  a  beauti 
ful  fresh-water  pond,  of  a  quarter  of  a  mile  in 
breadth,  and  surrounded  by  a  forest  of  evergreen 
trees.  The  pond  was  smooth  and  clear  as  crystal, 


156  CAPTIVE  OP   NOOTKA. 

and  the  forest  free  of  all  annoyance  from  under 
wood  or  bramble. 

It  was  filled  with  the  music  of  a  thousand  birds, 
and  beautiful  with  their  gay  and  diversified  plu 
mage.  The  bright  little  humming-birds  came  to  it, 
as  a  favorite  resort ;  and  they  were  seen  hovering 
round  the  low  flowers,  or  pending  from  the  green 
boughs,  like  jewels  kept  in  motion  by  some  power 
of  the  airy  element. 

This  pond  was  seldom  visited  by  the  natives, 
except  for  the  purpose  of  taking  off  a  coat  of  paint. 
It  furnished,  therefore,  a  calm  and  delightful  retreat 
to  our  captives,  who  used  to  retire  to  it  every  Sun 
day,  and  after  bathing  freely  in  its  waters,  and 
exchanging  their  garments  for  the  clean  ones  that 
they  had  before  washed  in  it,  and  left  on  its  margin 
to  dry,  they  spent  the  rest  of  the  day  in  devotion  to 
Him,  whom  it  was  their  chief  consolation  to  find 
was  the  God  of  the  wilderness,  as  well  as  of  the 
garden  and  the  city. 

They  took  their  Bible  and  Prayer  Book  with 
them,  and,  seated  under  a  noble,  umbrageous  pine, 


CAPTIVE   OF   NOOTKA.  157 

John  read  aloud,  while  Thompson  listened,  and  the 
feathered  multitude  performed  the  part  of  choir,  in 
singing  praises  to  their  Maker. 

This  scene  of  worship  and  supplication,  in  such 
a  solitude,  presents  a  sublime  and  beautiful  picture 
to  the  imagination.  The  speaker  and  his  single 
auditor  just  made  up  one  of  the  numbers  to  whom 
our  Savior  has  promised  his  presence  and  his  bless 
ing,  when  they  meet  together  in  his  name. 

And  here  in  this  lonely  wild,  trodden  only  by  the 
feet  of  the  savage,  and  the  beast  of  the  forest  were 
these  unfortunate  men  thrown,  to  learn,  in  the 
bosom  of  nature,  the  value  of  the  Bible  and  the 
consolations  of  the  Christian  religion. 

John  felt  the  parting  advice  of  his  good  father 
written  on  his  heart;  and  the  promises  of  Him, 
who  used  to  go  himself  into  the  forest,  and  on  the 
mountains,  to  pray,  were  kept  in  his  bosom,  whis 
pering  peace  to  his  soul,  amid  all  the  horrors  of 
captivity,  and  the  hopelessness  of  the  outward  cir 
cumstances  that  surrounded  him. 

God,  who  declares  that  the  hearts  of  kings  are  in 


JLAVETT  AND  THOMPSON  KEEPING  THE  SABBATH. 


CAPTIVE   OF    NOOTKA.  159 

his  hands,  here  showed,  that  civilized  royalty  was 
not  alone  comprehended  in  the  declaration.  His 
power  was  manifested  on  the  heart  of  the  red 
monarch  of  the  wood.  Maquina,  when  he  learnt 
that  the  purpose  for  which  his  prisoners  retired  on 
the  Sabbath  was  to  worship  their  God,  felt  too  great 
a  reverence  for  the  object  to  have  their  devotions 
interrupted,  or  to  forbid  them  the  privilege  of  going 
by  themselves,  for  the  purpose  of  communing  with 
the  great  Being  whom  they  adored. 

Some  time  in  July,  hope  suddenly  flashed  into 
the  heart  of  John  and  his  new  father,  from  a  distant 
sail  that  appeared  for  a  few  minutes  ;  but  it  passed 
on  without  coming  near  the  land,  and  all  was 
gloom  again,  as  it  respected  the  prospect  of  seeing  a 
Christian  face. 

A  few  days  after  this,  there  came  up  a  violent 
thunder  storm.  The  pepple  of  the  village  all  fled 
from  their  own  houses,  and  hurried  to  that  of  their 
king,  where,  instead  of  going  within  for  shelter, 
they  got  on  the  roof  of  the  house,  seating  them- 


160  CAPTIVE   OF    NOOTKA. 

selves  as  thick  as  they  could,  and  have  room  to 
drum. 

The  king  commenced  drumming  and  singing,  and 
looking  up  to  the  sky,  and  all  the  people  joined  in, 
making  a  most  tremendous  noise  with  their  sticks 
on  the  boards,  and  their  loud  vociferations,  while 
they  entreated  Quahootze  not  to  kill  them. 

This  religious  ceremony,  expressive  of  fear  and 
supplication,  was  kept  up  till  the  storm  had  sub 
sided. 

Things  went  on  in  rather  a  monotonous  manner, 
till  towards  the  decline  of  summer,  when  the  king 
and  his  men,  going  out  for  whaling  on  the  coast, 
left  the  prisoners  at  home,  for  fear  that  they  might 
escape  to  some  other  tribe  on  the  coast,  if  per 
mitted  to  go  with  them. 

Meantime,  as  the  women  seldom  cooked  much 
when  the  king  and  the  men  were  gone,  the  prison 
ers  often  found  themselves  brought  to  a  scanty  fare, 
and  felt  the  cravings  of  hunger. 

Sometimes  they  were  fortunate  enough  to  procure 
a  good  piece  of  salmon,  which  they  would  boil  in 


CAPTIVE    OF   NOOTKA.  161 

salt  water,  with  a  few  nettles  for  greens,  and  some 
scattering  turnips  and  onions,  which  they  gleaned 
from  the  remains  of  the  Spanish  garden,  and  with 
these,  in  secret,  make  up  quite  a  comfortable  meal. 

They  often  heard  from  the  tribes  of  the  north  and 
south,  who  came  to  Nootka,  stories  of  vessels  that 
were  seen  coming  to  land,  along  their  coast,  and 
were  advised  to  go  with  them,  with  the  promise 
that  they  would  protect  and  see  them  safe  on  board 
one  that  might  carry  them  to  their  country. 

But  these  accounts  they  found  were  all  false,  and 
only  a  lure  held  out  by  these  crafty  savages,  to  get 
them  out  of  Maquina's  hands  into  their  own,  for 
slaves.  Yet,  preferring  to  remain  with  present 
evils,  to  going  where  their  situation  might  be  ren 
dered  worse,  they  turned  a  deaf  ear  to  these  persua 
sions. 

Among  other  inducements  offered  to  John,  to 
make  his  escape  from  Nootka,  a  young  lady  of  the 
forest  took  it  into  her  head  to  fall  greatly  in  love 
with  him ;  and  this  young  lady  was  a  princess  too, 
belonging  to  a  powerful  tribe. 


162  CAPTIVE   OF    NOOTKA. 

She  was  a  daughter  of  the  Wickanninish  king, 
and  younger  sister  of  Maquina's  queen.  She  was 
a  beautiful  Indian  girl,  quite  fair,  and  of  fine  fea 
tures  ;  but  she  had  received  an  injury  in  one  of  her 
eyes,  that  had  impaired  the  sight.  This,  Maquina 
told  John,  would  forever  prevent  her  being  mar 
ried  ;  as  a  defect  of  this  kind  was  an  insuperable 
objection  to  a  female,  in  the  view  of  an  Indian  who 
was  choosing  a  wife. 

But  the  young  one-eyed  beauty  thought  she 
would  outwit  the  fastidious  beaux  of  her  own  color, 
by  securing  to  herself  a  white  companion. 

She  therefore  flattered  and  coaxed  John  to  go 
with  her  to  her  father's  people,  telling  him  he  would 
there  have  better  food  and  clothing,  and  kinder 
treatment ;  and  that  if  he  wished  it,  they  would 
put  him  into  a  vessel  and  let  him  go  home. 

She  asked  him  about  his  friends,  in  his  own  coun 
try  ;  and  if  he  had  not  a  mother  and  sister  who 
would  mourn  for  him  till  he  returned. 

But,  as  John  had  no  idea  of  ingrafting  himself 
as  a  branch  into  the  royal  family  of  the  wood,  he 


CAPTIVE   OF    NOOTKA.  163 

decidedly  declined  all  the  splendor  of  such  an  alli 
ance,  and  rejected  the  offer  with  the  firmness  of  a 
true  philosopher;  and  the  Wickanninish  fair  was 
left  to  bemoan  .v.?r  disappointed  hopes.  The  name 
of  this  princess  was  Yuqua. 

Early  in  September,  the  Nootkans  made  prepa 
rations  to  depart  from  this,  their  summer  residence, 
to  plant  themselves  for  the  autumn  and  winter  on 
a  less  exposed  and  more  agreeable  spot,  according 
to  their  usual  custom  •  their  village  being  located 
where  the  winds  were  cold,  and  brought  the  storms 
from  the  sea  in  upon  them. 

The  places  to  which  they  resorted  at  these  sea 
sons,  were  Tashees  and  Cooptee.  The  latter  place 
was  about  thirty  miles  up  the  sound,  and  lay  in  a 
deep  bay ;  but  it  was  very  difficult  of  access  by 
canoes,  on  account  of  the  reefs  of  dangerous  rock 
that  lay  in  the  way. 

Tashees  was  not  far  from  it,  and  situated  in  a 
small  hollow  at  the  foot  of  a  mountain,  on  the  south 
shore. 

This  place  afforded  a  beautiful  view  of  romantic 


164  CAPTIVE   OF   NOOTKA. 

scenery,  that  was  very  pleasant  to  the  eye ;  and 
the  noise  of  the  rivulets  and  cascades,  that  rippled 
and  sparkled  on  the  sides  of  the  mountains,  ad 
dressed  the  ear  with  a  native  and  inimitable  music. 

The  spot  on  which  the  town  stood,  with  its 
houses  in  a  string  like  these  of  Nootka,  was  level, 
the  soil  good ;  and  a  noble  river,  about  twenty  rods 
vide,  rolled  by  it. 

The  buildings  here  were  not  so  large  as  those  at 
Nootka,  and  the  people  had  to  accommodate  each 
other  as  well  as  they  could  by  stowing  closely  to 
gether.  One  great  object  in  the  choice  of  this  spot, 
was  the  facility  it  afforded  the  natives  for  procuring 
their  winter  provisions. 

A  lofty  range  of  high  hills  ran  along  on  each 
side  of  Tashees,  covered  with  beautiful  forest  trees, 
and  extending  inland  to  a  great  distance. 


165 


CHAPTER    XVI.  - 

The  scene  of  departure — conveyance  of  their  infants — an  anec 
dote  of  St.  John's  Indians — passage  to  Tashees — arrival  and 
business  there — manner  of  taking  roe  fish,  <$c. — how  they  were 
cured  and  cooked — John's  condition. 

THE  time  of  preparation  for  leaving  Nootka  pre 
sented  a  busy,  bustling  scene,  and  one  that  would 
have  greatly  amused  the  captives,  had  they  beheld 
it  for  the  first  time,  under  happier  circumstances 
than  now  attended  them. 

If  it  was  not,  literally,  plucking  up  stakes,  it 
was  plucking  off  boards ;  for,  even  the  coverings  of 
their  houses  were  stripped  away,  to  load  the  canoes, 
and  be  carried  with  them,  to  lay  on  the  roofs  and 
inclose  the  sides  of  the  habitations  they  were  going 
to  occupy. 

Thus,  they  removed  and  changed  the  outside  of 
their  buildings  as  they  did  their  own  garments, 


166  CAPTIVE   OF   AOOTKA. 

to  suit  their  convenience,  leaving  only  the  posts 
standing  in  the  place  they  were  about  to  desert  till 
they  returned  to  it  in  another  season. 

Boxes,  baskets,  tubs,  men,  women  and  pappooses 
were  all  huddled  together  into  the  canoes  and  the 
long-boat  of  the  ship,  which,  having  been  repaired 
and  furnished  with  a  sail  by  Thompson,  was  loaded 
as  deep*  as  she  could  swim,  and  put  under  the  ma 
nagement  of  the  prisoners,  the  natives  finding  them 
selves  rather  green  hands  at  steering  the  boat. 

Having  got  all  their  worldly  goods  afloat,  they 
pushed  off  from  shore,  turning  their  backs  on  the 
naked  posts  of  their  town,  that  stood  looking  like 
desolation. 

The  infant  children,  for  transportation  in  a  remo 
val  of  this  sort,  were  laid  into  little  bark  cradles,  or 
hammocks,  about  six  inches  deep,  and  just  long 
and  wide  enough  to  contain  them.  They  were 
then  laced  in,  by  a  string  passing  through  the  edges 
of  their  vehicle,  arid  slung  at  the  backs  of  their 
mothers. 

I  believe  it  is  a  general  practice  among  all  our 


CAPTIVE    OF    NOOTKA.  167 

Indians,  to  lace  their  young  infants  flat  upon  their 
backs,  in  a  straight  position,  to  a  piece  of  board  or 
in  a  cradle  of  this  sort,  in  order  to  have  their  forms 
erect,  when  they  grow  up.  This  is  thought  to  be 
the  reason  why  the  savages  are  generally  so  well 
shaped  and  erect. 

I  once  saw,  among  a  company  of  St.  John's  In 
dians,  an  infant  only  a  few  days  old,  laced  down  in 
this  way  to  a  small  piece  of  board,  as  closely  as  a 
little  fish,  pegged  down  to  dry. 

I  went  with  several  friends  to  visit  the  encamp 
ment,  which  was  in  an  extensive  cleared  ground, 
about  an  eighth  of  a  mile  from  the  road.  As  we  left 
our  carriages  by  the  road-side  to  enter  the  field, 
we  perceived  near  the  wall,  a  little  savage  about 
four  years  old,  who  had  strayed  away  from  the 
wigwams,  and  was  peeping  at  us  through  the  cre 
vices  between  the  stones. 

One  of  our  company  smacked  his  whip  suddenly 
at  him  to  startle  him ;  at  which  he  was  so  affright 
ed,  that  he  took  to  his  little  red  heels,  and  went 
full  speed,  and  screaming,  to  the  wigwams;  and 


168  CAPTIVE    OF   NOOTKA. 

we  lost  sight  of  him  among  the  others  at  the  en 
campment,  which  we  did  not  reach  till  some  time 
after  he  had  got  safe  home. 

The  Indians  treated  us  very  civilly,  as  we  went 
round  from  one  habitation  to  another;  showing 
us  their  basket-stuff,  &c.  and  letting  us  creep,  one 
at  a  time,  as  well  as  we  could,  into  their  huts,  that 
were  made  of  bark,  and  resembled  a  thicket  of  hay 
cocks,  more  than  anything  else,  when  viewed  at  a 
distanced 

We  were  asked  if  we  did  not  want  to  see  a  little 
infant  that  was  in  one  of  these  huts,  which  we  had 
not  entered,  and  told  that  we  might  see  it  laced  to 
its  board,  for  six  cents  apiece. 

So  we  drew  near  the  entrance,  throwing  in  our 
toll  one  at  a  time,  when  the  mother,  after  she  had 
made  sure  of  the  fee,  would  lift  the  blanket  that 
was  thrown  over  the  child,  and  give  the  spectator 
one  peep,  and  then  let  it  fall. 

The  gentleman  who  had  smacked  the  whip,  but 
who  had  entirely  forgotten  the  act,  and  myself, 
happened  to  be  the  two  last. 


CAPTIVE   OF    NOOTKA.  169 

He  threw  in  a  nine-penny  piece,  saying  that  was 
for  both  of  us.  The  mother  took  the  money,  and 
beckoned  to  me  to  come  first.  When  I  had  had 
my  peep,  and  passed  out,  the  gentleman  went  for 
ward  for  his. 

But  the  cunning  and  handsome  young  mother 
shrouded  her  child  in  another  fold  of  the  blanket, 
and  throwing  her  arms  over  to  hide  it,  looked  up, 
and  with  an  arch  smile,  said,  'No,  no, — you  scare 
my  little  boy — you  no  see — no,  no  /' — and  with  an 
expression  of  playful  triumph  and  satisfaction,  at 
having  so  soon  avenged  herself  for  the  rudeness 
offered  to  her  boy,  she  hugged  her  baby  tight  till 
the  disappointed  spectator  went  away. 

The  child  was  folded  in  a  little  blanket,  over 
which  the  lacing  passed.  It  is  the  custom  of  these 
Indian  mothers,  when  they  are  out  in  the  forests, 
to  hang  their  little  bark  cradles,  with  their  infants 
confined  in  them,  on  the  boughs  of  trees,  for  the 
birds  to  sing  their  lullaby,  and  the  breezes  to  rock 
them  to  sleep. 

We  will  now  return  to  our  fleet  of  canoes,  and 
P 


170  CAPTIVE    OF    NOOTKA. 

imagine  them,  as  they  went,  with  all  the  wealth  of 
Nootka  piled  up  within  their  sides ;  while  the  loud 
songs  of  the  people  poured  over  the  waters  and 
rang  along  the  shore  amid  the  rocks  and  the  trees, 
as  they  glided  up  the  sound  towards  Cooptee,  arid 
then  passed  it,  on  the  way  to  Tashees. 

On  arriving  at  this  place,  the  first  business  of 
the  people  was,  to  set  about  covering  the  skeletons 
of  their  houses  that  were  found  standing  to  receive 
their  coat  of  boards,  and  to  be  repeopled  by  their 
former  lords  and  masters. 

Their  habitations  prepared,  their  next  work 
was  to  provide  for  themselves  the  creature  comforts 
that  were  to  be  brought  up  from  under  the  waters, 
in  the  form  of  herring  roe,  salmon,  and  other  kinds 
of  fish. 

In  order  to  take  the  roe  of  the  herring,  which, 
one  would  suppose,  would  be  no  easy  thing  to 
effect,  they  laid  a  very  curious  and  successful  plan. 

They  cut  immense  quantities  of  broad  pine 
branches,  and  sunk  them  where  the  water  was 
about  ten  feet  deep,  fastening  them  to  the  bottom 


CAPTIVE   OF  NOOTKA.  171 

by  means  of  heavy  stones,  that  kept  them  down,  till 
the  herring  swam  up  and  deposited  their  roe  upon 
them. 

The  branches  were  then  taken  up,  and  the  roe 
stripped  off  by  the  women,  who  washed  it  and 
cleared  it  from  the  pine  leaves,  and  then  dried  it 
and  put  up  in  baskets  for  future  use. 

To  take  salmon  and  other  fish  at  this  place,  they 
wove  a  sort  of  a  trap  or  ware,  with  flexile  twigs ; 
the  form  of  which  was  somewhat  like  a  pot,  or 
bee-hive. 

Its  mouth  was  made  by  turning  the  sharpened 
ends  of  the  twigs  in,  after  the  manner  of  a  wire 
mouse-trap,  and  sloping  to  quite  a  narrow  passage, 
so  as  to  let  the  fish  slip  in ;  and  then  to  cry  (if  he 
could,}  like  Sterne's  starling,  'I  can't  get  out!' 

The  prisoners  in  these  water-cages  were  obliged 
to  come  out  at  length,  as  the  proverb  would  say, 
'  at  the  little  end  of  the  horn ;'  for  at  the  end  where 
the  ware  tapered  off  to  a  point,  a  place,  like  a  sort 
of  door,  was  made  so  as  to  be  opened  for  rernov- 


172  CAPTIVE   OF   NOOTKA. 

ing  the  finny  dupe,  and  then  closed  for  the  purpose 
of  entrapping  another. 

These  fish-traps  were  set  immediately  below 
some  rapid,  above  which  the  natives  went  with 
their  canoes,  and  drove  the  fish  down,  till,  fleeing 
from  one  evil,  they  slipped,  unsuspectingly,  into 
another,  and  went  to  sure  destruction. 

John  saw  more  than  seven  hundred  salmon  taken 
by-  this  method  in  the  course  of  fifteen  minutes. 
Some  bass  were  taken  in  the  same  way. 

The  cod  and  halibut  were  cut  up  into  small 
pieces,  and  dried  in  the  sun,  for  preservation ;  but 
the  salmon  that  was  to  be  cured  for  winter  food, 
was  split  open,  the  head  andjback  bone  were  re 
moved,  and  then  it  was  hung  up  in  the  house  to 
dry. 

This  season  was  a  time  of  great  feasting  and 
hilarity  among  the  Indians.  They  cooked  im 
mense  quantities  of  fish,  and  lived  not  upon  the  fat 
of  the  land,  but  of  the  waters. 

They  cooked  at  Maquina's  house,  one  hundred 
salmon  at  once,  in  a  tub  of  enormous  size,  and  ate 


CAPTIVE   OF    NOOTKA.  173 

with  the  appetite  of  a  people  who  were  not  accus 
tomed  to  make  two  bites  at  a  cherry. 

Tashees  was  at  this  time  a  place  of  great  busi 
ness,  and  all  hands  were  engaged,  either  in  catch 
ing,  curing,  or  cooking  fish,  or  in  conveying  it  to 
the  mouths  of  the  feasters. 

John  used  frequently  to  go  out  with  Maquina 
after  salmon;  and -the  king  would  always  allow 
him  a  part,  to  be  considered  as  his  share  of  the 
spoil. 

He  used,  also,  to  shoot  wild  ducks  and  teal, 
which  the  women  skinned,  and  boiled  them  in  the 
same  way  that  they  did  their  other  food. 

The  prisoners  found  their  condition  at  this  place 
less  comfortable  -than  at  Nootka,  in  some  respects, 
as  the  weather  began  to  grow  cold,  and  they  were 
obliged  to  be  more  within  doors ;  and  the  houses 
being  smaller,  did  not  accommodate  them  so  well 
as  those  they  had  before  occupied. 

But  they  did  not  neglect  to  go  off  alone  on  the 
Sabbath  to  bathe  in  some  stream,  and  to  pass  the 
rest  of  the  day  in  retirement,  by  its  side,  offer- 


tiremen 

* 


174  CAPTIVE   OF   NOOTKA. 

ing  up  supplications  to  God  for  their  deliverance, 
and  thanks  for  the  preservation  of  their  lives,  until 
the  winter  came  on  so  cold  as  to  cut  them  short  of 
this  privilege,  by  obliging  them  to  stay  near  a 
shelter  and  a  fire. 


175 


CHAPTER    XVII. 

John  forbidden  to  write — a  new  dress  made  for  the  king — he 
accounts  for  having  killed  the  crew — the  yama— taking  the 
bear — singular  ceremony — an  annual  thanksgiving. 

JOHN  had  not  been  long  at  Tashees,  when  he 
began  to  feel  serious  alarm  for  the  fate  of  his 
journal.  Maquina,  who  saw  him  writing  in  it 
from  day  to  day,  told  him  that  if  he  saw  him  en 
gaged  at  it  again,  he  would  certainly  destroy  it. 

John  told  him  he  was  keeping  accounts  of  the 
weather;  but  the  sagacious  king  said  he  knew 
better,  and  that  he  was  speaking  bad  about  him  and 
his  people  for  destroying  the  crew,  so  as  to  inform 
his  countrymen  against  them,  if  he  could  meet 
with  any  who  came  upon  the  coast.  After  this, 
John  had  to  be  very  secret  about  his  writing. 

He  finished  about  this  time,  some  liigiily-polish 


176  CAPTIVE    OF   NOOTKA. 

ed  daggers,  and  made  a  cheetoolth  after  the  king's 
directions,  that  pleased  his  majesty  highly. 

Thompson  began  to  grow  into  the  king's  favor, 
also,  for  having  made  a  fine  sail  for  his  canoe,  and 
a  kutsack  for  him  by  stitching  European  vest  pat 
terns  together  till  he  formed  a  mantle  a  fathom 
square. 

This  garment,  comprised  of  various  pieces  and 
figures,  and  variegated  with  all  the  colors  of  the 
rainbow,  must  certainly  have  exceeded  Joseph's 
coat,  in  its  ornaments,  if  not  in  the  many  hues  it  ex 
hibited  ;  for  to  finish  it  off  in  style,  Thompson  had 
put  on  its  edge  a  border  of  otter-skin,  and  above 
this,  six  rows  of  gilt  buttons,  as  thick  as  they 
could  be  set  together. 

The  arm-holes  were  bordered  in  the  same  way 
and  the   king  put  it  on,   and  strutted  about  with 
all  the  pride  of  a  peacock,  while  the  buttons  tinkled 
as  he  went,  and  his  people   looked  at  him  as  at  a 
shining  idol. 

He  rewarded  Thompson  for  his  skill,  and  gave 
John  a  piece  of  European  cloth  large  enough  to 


CAPTIVE    OF    NOOTKA.  177 

make  him  a  good  suit  of  clothes  for  the  winter,  as 
a  token  of  gratification  for  his  having  finished  the 
daggers  and  the  cheetoolth  so  well. 

Not  long  after  this,  he  showed  John  a  book  in 
which  were  seven  names  of  persons  who  had  he- 
longed  to  the  ship  Manchester  of  Philadelphia, 
commanded  by  Captain  Brian.  These  were  Daniel 
Smith,  Louis  Gillon,  James  Tom,  Clark,  Ben,  John 
son,  and  Jack. 

These  men,  Maquina  said,  deserted  the  ship  and 
came  to  him ;  and  that  six  of  them  ran  away  after 
wards,  in  order  to  go  to  the  Wickanninish.  But 
being  stopped  on  the  way  by  another  tribe,  they 
were  sent  back  to  him,  and  put  to  a  cruel  death. 

One  of  the  natives  told  John  that  the  way  in 
which  these  men  were  killed  was  this  : — Four  In 
dians  took  a  man  at  a  time,  and  held  him  down, 
while  others  crowded  stones  down  his  throat :  thus 
one  after  the  other  was  despatched. 

Jack,  the  boy  who  did  not  attempt  to  escape, 
was  sold  to  the  Wickanninish  king ;  but,  according 
to  the  account  of  Vuqua,  the  princess,  he  had  to 
12 


178  CAPTIVE   OF    NOOTKA. 

work  so  hard  that  his  health  failed ;  and  when  he 
heard  of  the  murder  of  his  friends,  it  affected  him 
so  much,  that  he  fell  sick  and  died. 

Maquina,  finding  that  John  had  a  great  desire  to 
learn  their  language,  took  much  pleasure  in  con 
versing  and  in  trying  to  teach  him.  In  one  of 
his  conversations,  he  fully  explained  the  cause  of 
his  having  destroyed  the  crew  of  the  Boston. 

He  said  he  bore  no  ill-will  towards  white  men  in 
general;  but  that  he  had  been  several  times  so 
"badly  treated  by  them,  that  he  had  resolved  on 
revenge  for  the  injury  they  had  done  him,  in  repeat 
ed  instances. 

He  said  the  first  outrage  was  committed  by  a 
Captain  Tawnington,  who  had  passed  the  winter 
with  his  vessel  at  Friendly  Cove,  and  received 
kind  treatment  from  the  natives. 

But  when  he  was  gone  for  his  wife,  to  the  Wick- 
aiminish.  the  captain  and  his  men  had  entered 
their  houses  in  the  absence  of  the  men,  terrified  the 
women,  and  robbed  their  boxes  of  all  that  was 
valuable. 


CAPTIVE   OF   NOOTKA.  179 

He  said  they  stole  from  his  store  no  less  than 
forty  fine  skins,  and  made  off  with  their  booty. 

The  next  grievance  was  from  a  Spanish  captain, 
who  barbarously  murdered  four  of  the  natives. 
The  third  was  very  soon  after,  from  a  captain 
Hanna,  of  the  Sea-Otter,  who,  because  one  of  the 
natives  stole  a  chisel  from  the  carpenter,  fired  upon 
them,  and  killed  more  than  twenty,  among  whom 
were  several  Tyees. 

Maquina  said  he  was  himself  on  board  the  vessel 
at  the  time,  and  came  near  being  killed,  saving  his 
life  only,  by  leaping  from  the  quarter-deck,  and 
swimming  a  great  distance  with  his  head  under 
water. 

He  said  he  had,  from  that  time,  determined  to 
avenge  the  blood  of  his  people,  when  a  fair  oppor 
tunity  presented  itself;  and  that,  when  Captain 
Salter  insulted  him,  the  feeling  of  injury  and 
the  desire  of  revenge  were  roused  in  his  bosom, 
and  he  resolved  to  wait  no  longer  for  vengeance  on 
the  race  of  men  who  had  wronged  him  and  slain 
his  brethren. 


180  CAPTIVE   OF    NOOTKA. 

This  tale  revealed  some  sad  secrets  respecting 
the  conduct  of  those  who  had  been  at  Nootka  for 
trade,  and  received  kind  treatment  from  the  na 
tives  ;  and  it  is  much  to  be  lamented  that  civilized 
men,  and  those  who  took  the  name  of  Christians, 
should  not  have  acted  more  according  to  the  rules 
of  justice  and  humanity. 

One  kind  of  provision  which  the  natives  made  it 

serious  business  to  lay  in  for  the  winter,  while 
at  Tashees,  was  the  Yama,  a  kind  of  fruit  that 
grew  in  the  woods  in  great  profusion ;  and  which 
the  women  went  out  in  companies  to  gather,  with 
guards  of  men  to  protect  them  from  wild  beasts. 

A  yama  party  would  stay  several  days  at  a  time, 
in  the  forest,  making  for  themselves  a  covert  of 
leafy  boughs  for  the  night,  and  busying  themselves 
during  the  day  in  filling  their  baskets  with  fruit. 

This  fruit  was  a  berry,  that  grew  in  clusters, 
upon  bushes  about  three  feet  high,  with  large, 
round  and  polished  leaves.  The  berry  was  black, 
of  an  oblong  round ,  and  about  as  large  as  grape- 


CAPTIVE  OF    NOOTKA.  181 

shot.  Its  taste  was  sweet,  with  a  little  flavor  of 
acid. 

The  women  would  sometimes  bring  in  a  dozen 
bushels  of  these  berries  at  once,  and  spread  them 
on  blankets :  they  then  laid  others  over  them,  to 
press  them,  and  left  them  to  dry  till  they  were  fit 
to  put  up  in  baskets. 

Though  fish  and  fruit  were  the  main  articles  of 
food  among  these  people,  they  sometimes  used  to 
eat  the  flesh  of  the  bear,  deer,  and  other  animals. 

But  they  had  an  odd  superstition  that  obliged 
them,  whenever  they  had  eaten  of  the  bear,  to  ab 
stain  from  eating  fish  for  two  months  afterwards ; 
for  they  believed  that,  if  they  ate  fish  immediately 
after  having  fed  on  the  bear,  the  fish  would  know 
it  all  around,  and  be  so  offended  as  not  to  come 
within  their  waters  or  suffer  themselves  to  be  taken. 

Most  of  the  natives  were,  therefore,  unwilling  to 
suffer  the  penalty  of  indulging  the  appetite  by  a 
taste  of  this  animal ;  and  when  one  was  taken  and 
dressed,  scarcely  a  dozen  of  the  tribe  could  be  in 
duced  to  eat  of  it. 


182  CAPTIVE    OF    NOOTKA. 

To  take  the  bear,  they  constructed  a  trap  by  the 
side  of  some  stream,  where  his  black  and  shaggy 
honor  was  in  the  habit  of  promenading.  This  trap 
was  built  with  post  and  planks,  one  of  which  was 
so  placed,  as  to  let  down  a  heavy  load  of  stones 
that  were  laid  upon  it,  when  the  animal  pulled 
upon  a  salmon  that  was  suspended  to  it,  by  way  of 
bait,  within  the  trap.  The  head  of  the  beast  was, 
by  this  means,  either  crushed,  or  so  forcibly  struck 
as  to  cause  his  death  at  once. 

A  trap,  formed  in  this  manner,  was  covered  witli 
sods,  so  as  to  have  the  appearance  of  a  mound  of 
earth. 

Dressing  the  bear,  as  the  natives  called  a  strange 
ceremony  which  they  went  through,  soon  after 
they  were  established  at  Tashees.  was  to  John  and 
his  companion  a  very  amusing  farce,  the  cause  of 
which  was  never  explained  to  them. 

The  animal  was  taken  dead  from  the  trap^ 
cleansed  of  all  the  blood  and  dirt  that  had  ga 
thered  on  him  in  his  hour  of  distress,  and  then  car 
ried  to  the  king's  house. 


TAKING  THE  BEAR. 


184  CAPTIVE   OF   NOOTKA. 

Here,  a  chief's  cap  was  put  upon  his  head,  his 
body  powdered  all  over  with  white  down,  which, 
contrasted  with  his  black  fur,  made  quite  a  show. 
He  was  then  set,  in  an  upright  position,  opposite 
the  king,  and  a  tray  of  food  put  before  him,  when 
the  Indians  urged  him,  by  a  variety  of  words  and 
gestures,  to  eat. 

But  Sir  Bruin,  not  showing  much  inclination 
to  accept  the  invitations,  was  soon  taken  away, 
skinned,  cut  up  and  boiled. 

This  ceremony  was  an  occasion  of  great  merry 
making  throughout  the  village.  The  king  made  a 
great  entertainment,  and  all  the  people  flocked  to 
gether  at  the  festival,  which  was  generally  con 
cluded  with  a  dance  by  Sat-sat,  performed  in  the 
way  I  have  already  described. 

On  the  morning  of  December  13th,  another 
strange  ceremony  began,  by  the  king's  firing  a 
pistol,  apparently,  without  a  moment's  warning, 
close  to  the  ear  of  Sat-sat,  who  dropped  down 
instantly,  as  if  shot  dead  upon  the  spot. 

Upon  this,  all  the  women  set  up  a  most  terrible 


CAPTIVE   OF   NOOTKA.  185 

yelling,  tearing  out  their  hair  by  handfuls,  and 
crying  out  that  the  prince  was  dead ;  when  the 
men  rushed  in,  armed  with  guns  and  daggers, 
inquiring  into  the  cause  of  the  alarm,  followed  by 
two  of  the  natives  covered  with  Wolf-skins,  with 
masks  representing  the  wolf's  head. 

These  two  came  in  on  all-fours,  and  taking  up 
the  prince  on  their  back,  carried  him  out,  retiring 
as  they  had  entered. 

Maquina  then  came  to  John  and  Thompson, 
with  a  supply  of  provisions,  that  he  said  they  must 
take,  and  depart  with  it  into  the  woods,  and  there 
remain  six  days,  assuring  them  that  if  they  return 
ed  before  that  time  had  expired,  he  should  have 
them  killed^ 

The  .liberty  of  going  out  by  themselves  for  a 
week  would,  at  a  milder  season  of  the  year,  have 
been  a  matter  of  rejoicing  to  them ;  but  as  it  was, 
they  obeyed  without  delay,  and  taking  their  pro 
visions,  retired  into  the  forest,  among  the  hills  and 
dells,  where  they  passed  the  time  reading,  rambling 
about,  &c.  during  the  day  time ;  and  at  night, 
Q 


186  CAPTIVE    OF    NOOTKA. 

they  crept  under  a  little  covert  of  boughs  woven 
and  made  into  a  small  cabin,  where  they  laid 
themselves  down  on  a  bed  of  Ieaves3  and  spread 
over  them  the  garments  that  they  had  taken  thither 
in  a  bundle,  to  keep  off  the  cold  night  air. 

On  the  seventh  day  after  their  banishment,  they 
returned  to  the  village,  where  they  found  the  king, 
chiefs,  and  many  of  the  people  of  another  tribe, 
who  had  been  invited  by  Maquina  to  come  and 
keep  the  week  with  him,  and  join  in  the  ceremo 
nies. 

It  was  afterwards  ascertained  that  this  grand 
celebration  was  an  annual  thanksgiving,  held  in 
honor  of  Quahootze,  to  thank  him  for  the  favors 
he  had  bestowed  on  them  during  the  year  that 
had  elapsed,  and  to  invoke  his  smile  on  them  for 
the  one  now  to  come. 


187 


CHAPTER    XVIII. 

Conclusion  of  the  thanksgiving — Christmas  kept  by  the  captives — 
removal  to  Cooptee — visit  to  the  Aitizzarts — -feast  at  Cooptee — 
false  stories  of  ships — return  to  Nootka — death  of  a  Icy — 
insanity  of  a  chief. 

WHAT  happened  at  the  village  while  they  were 
absent,  the  prisoners  never  knew ;  but  the  celebra 
tion  did  not  end  till  after  their  return,  and  then  it 
terminated  with  a  shocking  and  distressing  show 
of  deliberate  self-torment. 

Three  men,  each  with  two  bayonets  run  through 
their  sides,  between  the  ribs,  walked  up  and  down 
in  the  room,  singing  war-songs,  and  exulting  in 
their  firmness  and  triumph  over  pain. 

When  the  25th  of  the  month  came  round,  bring 
ing  with  it  a  sad  sense  of  the  contrast  between  the 
way  in  which  it  was  celebrated  in  their  native 
land,  and  that  in  which  it  must  be  kept  by  them, 


188  CAPTIVE   OF   NOOTKA. 

the  captives  requested  to  have  the  day  to  them 
selves,  and  retiring  into  the  woods,  they  passed  it 
in  reading  and  other  religious  exercises,  singing  the 
Hymn  of  the  Nativity,  and  returning  thanks  for 
the  birth  of  the  Savior. 

In  the  evening,  wishing  to  conform  to  the  cus 
toms  of  good  old  England,  as  far  as  circumstances 
would  permit,  they  set  themselves  about  getting  a 
better  meal  than  usual,  for  their  Christmas  supper. 

They  bought  some  of  the  best  dainties  among 
the  natives,  such  as,  dried  clams,  &c.  and  a  root 
which  they  called  keltsup,  which  being  cooked  by 
steam,  was  a  very  pleasant  kind  of  food ;  and  hav 
ing  made  ready  their  repast,  they  sat  down  to  make 
the  best  of  their  condition  over  it,  and  partook  of  it 
with  truly  grateful  hearts,  that  life,  health,  and 
even  this  homely  meal  was  granted  to  them  in  this 
inhospitable  wild. 

On  the  last  day  of  the  month,  the  tribe  removed 
to  Cooptee,  about  fifteen  miles  from  Tashees,  which, 
though  not  so  pleasant  as  that  place,  on  some  ac 
counts,  was.  from  its  being  nearer  to  Nootka,  beyond 


CAPTIVE   OF   NOOTKA.  189 

which  no  vessel  could  come,  a  more  agreeable  situ 
ation  to  the  prisoners,  as  they  hoped  it  would  allow 
them  a  better  opportunity  of  hearing  of  people  of 
their  own  nation  arriving  on  the  coast. 

The  first  business  of  the  natives  at  Cooptee,  was 
to  cover  their  houses  with  their  portable  roofs  and 
sides. 

The  next  day,  January  1st,  1804,  the  first  fall  of 
snow  for  that  winter,  came. 

About  a  week  afterwards,  Maquina  took  John 
in  his  canoe  to  visit  the  king  of  the  Aitizzarts,  who, 
with  his  chiefs,  had  been  to  keep  the  thanksgiving 
at  Tashees,  and  who  had  invited  Maquina  to 
come  to  see  him  at  this  time,  to  attend  a  similar 
celebration. 

This  king,  whose  name  was  Upquesta,  had  his 
town  about  twenty  miles  from  Cooptee,  up  the 
sound,  and  in  an  extensive  valley,  on  the  bank  of 
a  noble  river. 

During  the  sail  to  this  place,  Maquina  had  told 
John  not  to  speak,  after  their  arrival,  till  he  made 
a  sign  to  him. 


190  CAPTIVE   OF   NOOTKA. 

When  they  arrived,  the  king's  messenger,  who 
was  master  of  the  ceremonies,  came  out  to  meet 
them,  dressed  in  his  best,  with  his  head  bestrewed 
with  down,  and  holding  in  his  hand  a  cheetoolth, 
the  badge  of  his  office. 

He  saluted  them,  and  conducted  them  to  the 
presence  of  the  king,  with  due  gravity,  pointing 
out  to  each,  the  seat  that  it  belonged  to  him  to 
take. 

Visitors,  on  these  occasions,  wore  then*  caps,  and 
took  them  off  as  they  entered  the  house.  Maquina 
as  he  entered,  not  only  doifed  his  cap,  but  threw  off 
some  of  his  outer  garments,  of  which  he  had  put  on 
several,  one  over  another. 

But  very  few  of  the  people  at  this  place,  who  I 
should  have  before  remarked,  welcomed  the  visitors 
with  loud  shouts  and  the  firing  of  guns,  had  ever 
seen  a  white  man,  or  a  European  dress  ;  and  John 
was  to  them  an  object  of  no  small  curiosity. 

They  flocked  about  him,  feeling  of  his  clothes, 
his  hands,  his  head,  and  face,  and  patting  him  on 
the  arms  and  shoulders,  as  if  he  had  been  some 


CAPTIVE   OF  NOOTKA.  191 

animal  they  had  caught,  and  were  glad  to  find 
so  tame. 

As  he  obeyed  the  injunction  of  silence  all  the 
time  this  examination  was  going  on,  they  even 
opened  his  mouth  to  see  if  he  had  a  tongue. 

At  length,  Maquina  gave  the  sign,  and  John 
spoke  out,  to  the  great  surprise  and  delight  of 
the  spectators,  addressing  them  in  their  own  lan 
guage. 

They  made  a  great  burst  of  applause  at  this, 
saying  that  he  was  a  man,  like  themselves,  only 
he  was  white,  and  looked  like  a  seal,  alluding  to 
his  blue  jacket  and  trowsers.  They  did  not  like 
this  dress,  and  tried  to  persuade  him  to  take  it  off, 
and  put  on  one  like  their  own. 

The  celebration  here  was  similar,  as  far  as  John 
had  had  an  opportunity  of  observing  it,  to  the  one 
held  at  Tashees. 

During  the  visit,  Maquina  gave  a  particular 
detail  of  the  manner  in  which  he  had  obtained 
his  prisoners,  and  related  all  that  had  happened 
concerning  the  ship  and  her  crew,  stating  at  the 


192  CAPTIVE   OF    NOOTKA. 

same  time,  the  motives  that  had  prompted  him  to 
the  barbarous  act. 

The  religious  ceremonies  were  concluded  by 
twenty  men  who  entered  the  house,  with  arrows 
run  through  their  sides  and  arms,  having  strings 
fastened  to  them,  by  which  the  spectators  twitched, 
or  pulled  them  back,  as  the  men  walked  round  the 
room,  singing  and  boasting  of  their  power  to  endure 
suffering. 

Returning  to  Cooptee  after  this  visit,  the  men  in 
the  canoe  kept  time  to  the  stroke  of  the  paddles, 
with  their  songs;  and  they  reached  home  about 
midnight. 

The  time  went  off,  employed  in  fishing,  &c.  at 
Cooptee,  till  the  beginning  of  February,  when  an 
annual  feast  was  to  be  given  by  Maquina,  to  which 
the  whole  of  the  Aitizzarts,  and  many  of  another 
tribe,  were  invited. 

It  was  a  scene  of  great  gluttony,  and  so  was 
almost  the  whole  of  the  life  at  Cooptee ;  immense 
quantities  of  provisions  being  cooked,  and  destroyed 
with  I  rutal  lavishness. 


CAPTIVE    OF    NOOTKA.  193 

On  the  25th  of  February,  the  tribe  returned  to 
Nootka,  which,  notwithstanding  the  melancholy 
scene  it  brought  to  mind,  was  a  matter  of  rejoicing 
to  the  unhappy  captives,  as  it  gave  them  the  hope 
of  seeing  some  vessel  that  might  come  to  their 
relief. 

Not  long  after  the  return  to  this  place,  a  story 
was  told  to  Maquina,  by  the  Cayuquats,  of  twenty 
ships  that  were  on  the  coast,  coming  to  destroy  him 
and  his  people  for  what  they  had  done  with  the 
Boston  and  her  crew. 

This  threw  him  into  great  alarm,  and  thus  the 
objects  of  the  false  Indians,  who  had  fabricated  the 
report,  was  obtained. 

Though  John  assuited  him  that  there  was  not 
the  least  truth  in  it,  he  would  not  believe  him,  but 
kept  a  strict  eye  on  him  and  Thompson,  regarding 
them  with  great  jealousy,  and  would  not  let  them 
go  out  of  his  sight,  for  fear  of  their  going  some 
where,  to  meet  their  countrymen  from  the  vessels, 
to  inform  against  him. 

Soon  after  this,  a  death  took  place  in  the  family 
13  R 


194  CAI  1'IVE    OF   NOOTKA. 

of  the  king.  A  son  of  his  eister,  about  eleven  years 
old,  and  who  was  considered  as  a  Tyee,  died  in  the 
night,  after  having  languished  a  long  time  in  a  kind 
of  consumption  or  decay. 

As  soon  as  the  breath  left  his  body,  all  the  men 
and  women  in  the  house  set  up  such  a  yelling  and 
howling,  as  waked  the  prisoners,  and  obliged  them 
to  leave  the  house  to  escape  the  noise,  which  was 
kept  up  till  morning. 

A  great  fire  was  then  kindled,  and  in  it  Maquina 
burnt  ten  fathoms  of  cloth,  in  honor  of  the  dead 
child,  with  whom  he  afterwards  buried  ten  fathoms 
more,  eight  of  the  Ife-maw  shells,  and  two  small 
trunks,  containing  Captain  Salter's  watch  and  his 
clothing. 

It  was  the  custom  of  these  people,  whenever  a 
chief  died,  to  bury  with  him  some  of  their  most 
valuable  articles. 

Tootoosh,  the  husband  of  Maquina' s  sister,  and 
the  father  of  the  deceased  boy,  had  been  one  of  the 
chief  actors  in  the  dreadful  tragedy  on  board  the 


„ 


CAPTIVE   OF   NOOTKA.  Jj     ]  95 

Boston;  he  had  killed  two  of  the  men  with  bis 
own  hand. 

This  man,  Tootoosh,  had,  a  short  time  previous 
to  the  removal  to  Tashees,  been  suddenly  attacked, 
while  in  perfect  health,  by  a  violent  fit  of  insanity, 
during  which  he  raved  continually  about  the  men, 
Hall  and  Wood,  whom  he  had  killed,  and  said 
their  ghosts  were  by  him  all  the  time,  to  torment 
him. 

He  would  swallow  no  food  except  what  he  was 
forced  by  his  friends,  to  take  into  his  mouth ;  and 
whenever  he  attempted  to  take  any  into  his  hand, 
he  would  withdraw  it,  saying  he  should  be  glad  to 
eat,  but  the  dead  men  would  not  let  him. 

No  instance  of  insanity  had  occurred  among  these 
people  within  the  memory  of  their  oldest  man ;  and 
the  only  way  in  which  they  could  account  for 
this  was,  by  a  superstitious  belief,  that  the  ghosts 
of  the  murdered  men  had  been  called  back  by  the 
prisoners,  to  torment  the  murderer. 

Maquina,  when  first  made  acquainted,  by  his 
sister,  with  the  strange  symptoms  of  her  husband, 


196        :^  CAPTIVE   OF    NOOTKA. 

took-  John  and  Thompson  with  him  to  the  house, 
and,  pointing  at  each,  asked  Tootoosh  if  they  tor 
mented  him.  He  said,  'No — John  good — Thomp 
son  good — Hall  and  Wood  pesha/c,'  (bad.) 

Maquina  placed  food  before  him ;  but  he  said  Hall 
and  Wood  would  not  let  him  eat,  and  continued  in 
this  state  till  a  short  time  after  the  death  of  his  son, 
when,  after  the  most  dreadful  ravings,  he  grew 
sxhausted  and  died. 

Maquina  became  convinced  that  John  and  Thomp 
son  had  no  agency  in  causing  the  delirium,  and  the 
prisoners  found  that  it  was  viewed  by  the  natives, 
as  a  punishment  sent  by  Quahootze,  for  the  murder 
of  the  men,  and  to  this  they  thought  they  owed 
their  lives :  as  in  several  instances,  when  councils 
had  been  held,  respecting  putting  them  to  death, 
the  natives  would  not  consent  to  it,  and  many  of 
them  talked  about  Tootoosh,  in  a  way  that  showed 
they  feared  being  visited  themselves  ;  arid  the  king, 
said  he  was  glad  his  hands  did  not  dip  in  the  blood 
of  the  white  men. 

The    madness   of    Tootoosh    was    terrible ;    he 


CAPTIVE   OF    NOOTKA.  L97 


would  rave,  kick,  bite  and  spit  at  all  who 
near  1  dm,  but  the  prisoners  ;  but  he  wowld  pat  John 
on  the  shoulder,  and  call  him  good  ;  and  none 
could  manage  him  but  Thompson  and  he,  who 
were,  on  this  account,  set  over  him  as  attendants. 

It  was  a  question  with  them,  whether  the  insan 
ity  was  occasioned  by  the  death  of  a  daughter, 
about  fifteen  years  old,  not  long  before,  or  sent  im 
mediately  from  the  hand  of  God  to  make  the 
natives  tremble  at  their  own  crimes,  and  fear  to 
do  any  thing  against  their  lives,  lest  their  pums'i- 
should  be  of  the  like  kind. 


198 


CHAPTER    XIX. 

Maquina  goes  a  whaling — bringing  in  the  whale — death  and 
burial  service  of  the  crazy  chief- — the  king's  jester — a  mutiny 
feared — a  conspiracy — Thompson  kills  an  Indian. 

SOON  after  the  death  of  the  boy,  whose  mother 
had  been  obliged  to  bring  him  to  Maquina' s  house, 
to  avoid  the  violence  of  his  crazy  father,  the  king 
commenced  his  whaling  excursions ;  but  with  so^ 
little  success  that  he  returned  day  after  day  out  of 
humor,  and  once  with  a  broken  harpoon,  and 
nothing  to  pay  for  it,  or  for  his  toil. 

John  went  to  work  and  made  him  a  good  steel 
one,  which  pleased  him  highly,  and  the  first  time 
that  he  went  out  with  it,  he  struck,  with  a  death- 
thrust,  a  noble  whale ;  upon  which,  a  signal  was 
given,  and  all  the  canoes  were  out  to  help  tow 
him  in. 

While  the  poor  dying  whale  was  dragged  ashore 


CAPTIVE    OF    NOOTKA.  19V 

Iho  women  were  on  the  roofs  of  the  houses,  drum 
ming  with  great  violence,  and  mingling  their 
shouts  of  exultation  with  the  cry  of,  t  Woocash! 
woocash,  Tyee ! '  and  the  men  in  the  canoes  were 
singing  a  song  of  triumph,  to  a  slow  -tune,  as  the 
victim  was  brought  to  the  land. 

When  he  was  cut  up  to  be  boiled,  John  had  a 
handsome  present  of  blubber,  for  making  so  suc 
cessful  a  harpoon. 

It  should  have  been  remarked  that,  previous  to 
one  of  these  whaling  excursions,  the  king  had  a 
habit  of  .going  alone  to  the  mountains,  to  pass  a 
day  or  two  in  prayer  for  success  in  his  business ; 
and  when  he  returned,  wearing  the  red  fillet  and 
the  spruce  branch  on  his  head,  in  token  of  humilia 
tion,  his  manner  was  serious  and  gloomy. 

Tootoosh  died  early  in  June,  and  his  death  occa 
sioned  another  scene  of  mad  sorrow,  that  was  loud 
er  than  his  own  crazy  ravings  had  been. 

The  wailing  and  yelling  was  kept  up,  for  about 
three  hours ;  then  the  corpse  was  brought  out  of 
the  house,  and  laid  on  a  board  before  it.  A  red  ft1* 


MAQUINA'S  RETURN  FROM  WHALING. 


CAPTIVE    OF    NOOTKA.  201 

let  was  bound  round  the  head,  and  a  mantle  of  sea- 
otter  skin  wrapped  about  the  form. 

It  was  then  put  into  a  box  or  coffin,  with  several 
strings  of  the  Ife-maw  about  the  neck,  and  all  the 
most  valuable  articles  possessed  by  the  departed 
chief,  were  laid  into  the  coffin.  Among  these,  were 
several  fine  otter  skins. 

At  night,  the  time  of  their  burials,  ropes  were 
passed  round  the  coffin,  and  poles  run  through 
them,  by  which  the  coffin  was  taken  up,  and  borne 
by  eight  men,  followed  by  the  widow  and  family, 
with  their  heads  shaved  as  a  sign  of  mourning,  to 
the  place  of  interment. 

The  grave  was  a  small  cavern  in  the  side  of  a 
hill.  Here  they  deposited  the  coffin,  and  closing 
up  the  cavern  securely,  returned  to  the  house. 

The  next  ceremony  was  performed  by  building 
a  large  fire,  and  burning  every  thing  owned  by  the 
deceased,  that  had  not  been  buried  with  him. 
These  were  blankets,  pieces  of  cloth,  &c. 

They  were  laid  one  by  one,  on  the  fire,  b>  n 
person  appointed  by  the  king,  to  the  office  wuo 


CAPTIVE   OF    NOOTKA. 

was  dressed  out  in  his  finest  gear,  with  his  head 
bestrewed  with  down,  and  who,  as  each  article 
was  laid  on  the  fire,  would  pour  on  oil  to  increase 
the  flame,  and  while  it  was  burning,  make  a 
speech,  or  show  off  some  feat  of  buffoonery,  to  the 
bystanders. 

The  funeral  solemnities,  if  so  we  may  call  them, 
were  finished  by  Sat-sat,  who  performed  one  of 
his  best  dances  on  the  occasion,  in  honor  of  his 
dead  uncle. 

The   name  of  the  man  who  had   officiated  as  * 
priest  in  making  the  sacrifice,  was  Kinneclimmetsjqf- 
He  stood  with  Maquina  in  the  relation  of  king's  jes 
ter,  on  account  of  his  tricks  of  mimicry  and  other 
monkey  traits,  that  raised  him  high  in  his  majesty's 
estimation. 

He  not  only  performed  the  part  of  buffoon,  but 
he  had  also  the  office  of  master  of  ceremonies  at  all 
the  feasts,  and  that  of  public  orator.  He  harangued 
the  people,  showed  all  to  their  places,  and  amused 
them  mightily  with  his  antic  gestures,  his  low  wit, 
and  savage  merriment. 


CAPTIVE    OF    NOOTKA.  20% 

In  short,  they  seemed  to  think  that  all  their 
enjoyment  of  a  public  occasion  depended  on  the 
pranks  of  this  speaking  ape.  Such  a  character 
was  attached  to  the  train  of  each  tribe  among  the 
natives,  and  the  title  he  bore  was  that  of  Climmer- 
Nabbee,  which  must  have  been  a  very  comprehen 
sive  word,  since  it  meant  so  much,  enbodied  in  one 
great  personage. 

One  feat  that  this  man  undertook,  for  the  amuse 
ment  of  the  company,  on  some  feast  day,  was  to 
eat  to  excess. 

He  first  drank  three  pints  of  oil,  and  then  engag 
ed  to  eat  four  dried  salmon,  and  five  quarts  of  her 
ring  roe,  mixed  in  a  gallon  of  train-oil.  But  he 
failed  in  this ;  for,  before  he  got  through  with  his 
meal,  the  salmon  proved  that  they  were  not  quite 
so  securely  imprisoned  in  his  stomach  as  they  had 
been  in  the  waves,  and  that  they  could  '  get  out' 
by  the  same  mouth  by  which  they  had  entered. 

On  one  merry-making  occasion,  when  a  chief 
had  brought  home  his  new  wife,  the  jester  under 
took  to  entertain  the  revellers,  by  passing  three 


204  CAPTIVE   OF   NOOTKA. 

times  through  a  large  fire ;  but,  happening  not  to  be 
made  of  asbestos,  he  got  so  severely  burnt,  as  to 
come  very  near  dying  for  his  folly. 

Maquina  was  always  delighted  with  any  of  this 
man's  extraordinary  performances,  and  sure  to  re 
ward  him  with  some  present. 

The  frenzy  and  death  of  Tootoosh  caused  great 
alarm  among  the  natives,  lest  a  similar  fate  should 
await  them ;  for  John  told  the  king  it  was,  no  doubt, 
a  punishment  sent  by  Quahootze,  for  the  murder  of 
the  men. 

This  intimation,  while  they  believed  it,  only^ 
soured  them  towards  the  prisoners,  and  when  the 
king  was  out  of  sight,  they  would  insult  them,  by 
-calling  them  miserable  slaves,  asking  them  where 
their  Tyee  was ;  when  they  would  answer  by  their 
own  gestures,  showing  that  his  head  was  cut  off, 
and  that  theirs  should  be  also. 

But  they  took  good  care,  at  these  times,  to  keep 
out  of  the  reach  of  Thompson's  hand,  the  weight 
of  which  they  had  sometimes  severely  felt. 

As   the   summer   advanced,   there   was  a   great 


CAPTIVE    OF   NOOTKA.  205 

scarcity  of  fish  in  their  waters,  and  they  were  re 
duced  to  a  state  of  great  want,  so  as  to  be  obliged  to 
go  sometimes  without  food,  except  what  they  got 
by  gleaning  for  muscles  and  cockles  among  the 
rocks. 

The  natives  not  only  showed,  on  this  account, 
great  ill-humor  towards  the  prisoners,  whom  they 
suspected  of  using  some  conjuration,  or  some  in 
fluence  with  Quahootze,  but  with  true  savage 
inconsistency,  they  reproached  their  king  with  hav 
ing  driven  away  the  fish,  by  mingling  the  waters 
with  the  blood  of  the  murdered  white  men. 

But  Maquina  was  usually  kind  to  the  captives, 
and  always  gave  them  a  part  of  the  best  he  had  to 
eat.  Sometimes  he  would  make  them  presents, 
and  when  he  feared  a  mutiny  from  his  people,  he 
would  assure  them  that  if  a  vessel  came  within  a 
hundred  miles  of  the  village,  he  would  let  them 
send  letters  for  their  countrymen  to  come  to  their 
relief,  and  take  them  home. 

Once  he  so  far  feared  a  general  revolt  from  his 
people,  that  he  would  suffer  none  but  John  and 


206  CAPTIVE   OF    NOOTKA. 

Thompson  to  keep  guard  over  his  person,  in  gut  and 
day,  and  they  had  to  go  armed  for  the  purpose. 

He  had,  at  this  time,  discovered  a  conspiracy  be 
tween  three  of  his  chiefs,  one  of  whom  was  his 
brother,  against  his  life ;  and  he  suspected  them  to 
be  linked  in  the  plot,  to  another  neighboring  tribe. 
He,  at  this  time,  not  only  kept  his  white  body 
guard  close  to  him  on  all  occasions,  but  he  made 
his  men  fire  the  cannon  every  morning,  to  let  the 
other  tribe  know  what  they  would  have  to  meet 
if  they  came  upon  him. 

In  these  hours  of  intimacy  with  the  king,  and  of 
his  dependence  on  them,  John  and  Thompson 
complained  of  the  insults  and  unkind  treatment 
they  had  of  late  received  from  the  natives. 

Maquina  told  them,  that  it  should  not  be  so,  and 
that  they  must  let  him  know  if  ever  any  thing  of 
the  kind  was,  shown  them  by  any  of  the  Nootkans ; 
but  if  any  of  the  strangers  among  them  offered  to 
abuse  them,  he  said  they  might  punish  the  offender 
by  immediate  death  j  telling  them,  at  the  same 


CAPTIVE    OF    NOOTKA.  207 

time,  that  they  must  take  care  always  to  go  well 
armed. 

The  mutinous  spirit  of  the  people  gradually  sub 
sided  ;  but  it  was  not  long  before  Thompson  availed 
himself  of  the  liberty  the  king  had  given  him. 

He  was  at  the  pond  washing  clothes  for  himself 
and  John,  and  a  blanket  for  Maquina.  Several  of 
the  Wickanninish  came  by,  and  seeing  him,  began 
to  insult  him,  and  to  trouble  him  about  his  work, 
He  warned  them  to  desist ;  but  not  heeding  him, 
one  Indian,  more  bold  than  the  rest,  stepped  on  the 
blanket  that  was  spread  on  the  grass  to  dry,  arid 
trampled  it  under  his  feet. 

Upon  this,  Thompson  drew  his  cutlass  and  se 
vered  the  Indian's  head  from  his  body.  The  others, 
affrighted  at  the  deed,  took  to  their  heels  and  went 
ofT  in  a  moment.  Thompson  then  gathered  up  the 
blanket,  with  the  marks  of  the  Indian's  feet  and 
the  stains  of  his  blood  on  it,  and  the  head  wrapped 
in  it,  and  carried  it  to  the  king,  telling  him  the 
whole  story. 

He  commended  Thompson's  chivalry,  and  gave 


THOMPSON  KILLING  AN  INDIAN. 


CAPTIVE   OF    NOOTKA.  209 

him  a  present  in  token  of  his  approbation ;  and  the 
other  natives,  learning  what  it  was  in  the  power  of 
the  white  slave  to  do,  treated  him  and  his  com 
panion  with  more  respect  and  deference  ever  af 
terwards. 

This  deed  of  Thompson's  was  a  terrible  one, 
and  it  is  sad  to  think  that  necessity  compelled  him 
to  take  the  life  of  a  fellow-creature.  But  it  was  an 
act  of  self-defence,  as  much  as  any  warfare  is : 
for  though  his  life  did  not,  at  that  moment,  seem 
threatened,  there  was  no  telling  to  what  a  dreadful 
death  these  barbarians  might  have  brought,  him, 
had  he  not  made  them  fear  him. 

14  S 


210 


CHAPTER    XX. 

John  is  ordered  to  make  arms — the  king  declares  his  intention 
to  go  to  war — expedition  to  Aycharts — attack  and  slaughter 
of  the  inhabitants — return  to  Tashees — John  is  told  he  must 
marry — going  to  select  a  wife — making  choice  of  one. 

SOME  time  in  July,  Maquina  told  John  that  he 
must  set  about  making  daggers  for  the  men,  Chee- 
toolths  for  the  chiefs,  and  a  weapon  for  him  that 
should  strike  the  enemy  on  the  head,  whilb  asleep, 
and  kill  him  at  a  blow,  for  he  was  going  to  war, 
he  said,  with  the  Aycharts^  a  tribe  about  fifty  mile& 
to  the  south;  who  had  quarrelled  with  him  during 
the  last  summer. 

John  must  have  feit  very  badly  on  receiving 
these  commands,  and  knowing  for  what  immediate 
purpose  his  work  was  designed.  He  was,  however, 
obliged  to  obey  orders,  and  following  Maquina' s 
'directions,  he  made  his  weapon  \u  a  different  man 
ner  from  any  of  the  others 


CAPTIVE    OF    NOOTKA.  211 

It  was  a  kind  of  dagger,  or  spike,  with  a  long 
iron  handle,  with  a  crook  at  the  end  where  the 
steel  spike  went  in,  and  at  the  other,  a  large  knob, 
to  resemble  a  man's  head,  for  the  eyes  of  which, 
he  fastened  in  a  couple  of  black  beads,  with  sealing- 
wax. 

The  bend  in  the  handle  was  to  keep  it  from 
being  wrenched  away ;  and  the  weapon,  being 
altogether  a  formidable  one,  and  highly  polished, 
pleased  the  king  mightily.  He  would  not  allow 
any  of  the  chiefs  to  have  one  like  it,  reserving  its 
use  exclusively  for  his  own  royal  hand. 

When  all  preparations  were  made,  the  natives 
manned  about  forty  canoes,  well  armed  with  their 
dreadful  instruments  of  destruction,  among  which 
were  a  few  bows  and  arrows. 

The  bows,  about  four  feet  long,  were  drawn  by 
a  string  of  whale  sinew ;  the  arrows,  of  a  yard  in 
length,  were  pointed  with  copper,  shell,  or  bone. 

The  expedition,  of  which  John  and  Thompson 
were  obliged  to  make  two,  set  off  in  the  night,  to 
come  upon  and  slay  their  sleeping  foes. 


212  CAPTIVE    OF    NOOTKA 

They  sailed  during  the  silence  of  the  night,  and  in 
tent  upon  their  dreadful  purpose,  about  thirty  miles 
up  a  broad  river,  the  banks  of  which  were  covered 
with  deep  forests,  till  they  came  opposite  the  village 
they  were  about  to  depopulate ;  here  they  landed/ 
and  remained  in  perfect  stillness  till  the  moment 
of  attack. 

The  town  of  Aycharts  was  situated  on  a  hill, 
which  being  of  difficult  access,  was  a  kind  of  for 
tress.  The  houses  were  about  sixteen  in  number. 

Maquina  said  he  should  not  make  the  attack 
till  towards  the  dawn  of  morning,  that  being  the 
hour  when  the  Indians  slept  the  soundest. 

At  length,  the  awful  moment  arrived.  The  In 
dians  left  their  canoes,  and,  crawling  on  their  hands 
and  knees,  up  a  winding  pass,  they  entered  the 
dwellings  of  their  slumbering  enemies,  while  John 
and  Thompson  were  stationed  without,  to  stop 
such  as  might  try  to  escape. 

Maquina  seized  the  head  of  the  chief,  and  as  he 
stiuck  the  death  blow,  he  gave  a  terrible  war-whoop, 
the  signal  for  all  hands  to  '  fall  to,  and  spare  not.' 


OAlTiVE    OF    XOOTKA. 

•  A  few  of  the  surprised  Aycharts  fled  into  the 
forests,  and  escaped  death;  the  others  were  all 
slain,  or  taken  prisoners,  to  become  slaves  to  Ma- 
quina. 

The  hand  of  Thompson  was  not  slack  in  this 
terrible  work.  He  slew  so  many  of  the  unarmed 
enemy,  that  the  Nootkans  gave  him  the  name  of 
Checkeil-sunarhar>  a  chief  who  in  fotmer  years 
had  been  a  great  warrior  among  them. 

But  John  was  very  glad  it  did  not  fall  to  his  lot 
to  shed  the  blood  of  any.  He  'only  took  four 
captives,  whom  Maquina,  as  a  peculiar  favor,  al 
lowed  him  to  call  his  slaves,  and  who  were  to 
work  exclusively  for  him. 

All  the  old  and  infirm  Aycharts  having  been 
put  to  death,  Maquina  set  fire  to  the  town,  and 
laid  every  thing  waste;  after  which,  he  and  his 
men  took  their  captives,  and  returned  to  their 
canoes  to  set  sail  for  home,  with  their  trophies  of 
victory. 

They  were  received  at  the  village  with  great 
applause  from  the  women,  who  drummed  on  the 


214  uAPriVE    OF    NOOTKA. 

houses,  sang  and  shouted  at  their  bravery  and  con 
quest  ;  and  Sat-sat  performed  one  of  his  graceful 
jump-dances  in  honor  of  their  valor. 

Soon  after  this,  Maquina  was  strongly  impor 
tuned  to  dispose  of  John.  The  Wickanninish  king 
sent  his  messenger,  who,  in  their  usual,  formal 
way,  sat  rigged  for  the  occasion,  in  the  canoe, 
with  his  head  powdered  with  down,  and  making  a 
display  of  the  offerings  his  monarch  would  give  for 
the  white  slave  whom  he  wanted  to  make  arms  for 
him. 

He  had  sent  four  slaves,  two  fine  canoes,  a  large 
quantity  of  rnetamelth  and  other  things  of  great 
value,  as  the  price  he  was  willing  to  give.  But 
Maquina  rejected  these  splendid  offers ;  for  he  priz 
ed  John  higher  than  all  of  them. 

Towards  the  close  of  the  summer,  Velatilla,  chief 
of  the  Klaizzarts,  came  on  a  visit  to  Nootka ;  and 
he  also  urged  the  king  to  sell  John  to  him. 

This  chief  was  a  fine-look  dig  Indian,  of  a  com 
plexion  almost  as  light  as  that  of  a  European.  He 
was  well  formed,  very  neat  about  his  person,  and 


CAPTIVE    OF    NOOTKA.  215 

seldom  wore  paint,  except  on  the  place  where, 
according  to  the  custom  of  his  tribe,  the  eyebrows 
had  been  plucked  out. 

His  aspect  was  mild,  and  his  manners  pleasant ; 
he  usually  had  a  smile  on  his  face,  and  could  speak 
English  a  little.  He  took  great  interest  in  John, 
and  loved  to  converse  with  him  in  each  of  their 
languages  ;  asking  questions  about  his  country,  his 
friends  and  their  modes  of  living. 

He  said  that  if  he  could  prevail  on  Maquina  to 
sell  him,  he  would  procure  a  passage  for  him  to 
return  home  on  board  the  first  vessel  he  should 
discover  on  the  coast. 

This  promise,  John  afterwards  had  reason  to 
believe,  would  have  been  fulfilled,  could  Yelatilla 
have  prevailed  on  Maquina  to  part  with  him.  Foi 
it  was  to  this  man's  fidelity  in  delivering  a  letter  in 
person  to  the  master  of  a  vessel,  that  the  captives 
ultimately  owed  their  deliverance;  and  this  letter 
was  the  only  one  of  sixteen  which  John  wrote,  that 
ever  was  delivered. 

When  he  lpf*  Nootka,  John  made  him  a  present 


216  CAPTIVE   OF   NOOTKA. 

of  a  highly-polished  cheetoolth,  which  he  received 
with  much  pleasure  and  many  signs  of  gratitude, 
and  a  promise  to  deliver  the  letter  at  the  first  vessel. 

In  September,  the  tribe  returned  to  Tashees,  and 
went  over  again  the  same  business  and  mode  of 
living  that  has  been  already  described.  But 
shortly  after  this  removal,  John  was  thunderstruck, 
if  I  may  so  speak,  by  a  piece  of  information  that 
was  announced  to  him. 

Maquina  told  him  that  a  council  having  been  held, 
it  was  agreed  that  he  must  marry  one  of  the  In 
dian  girls ;  stating  as  a  reason,  that,  as  there  were 
no  vessels  coming  to  Nootka,  he  would,  no  doubt, 
have  to  pass  the  uest  of  his  life  with  them,  and  the 
sooner  he  conformed  to  their  customs,  and  had  a 
family  of  his  own,  the  more  happy  and  contented 
he  would  be. 

This  was  giving  poor  John  something  more 
difficult  than  train-oil  to  swallow.  He  remonstrat 
ed  vehemently  against  the  step;  but  all  to  no 
purpose — he  must  either  marry  or  die. 

The  only  way  in  which  the  terms  were  softened, 


CAPTIVE   OF   NOOTKA.  217 

'vas  his  having  the  liberty  to  choose  his  squaw 
among  the  fair  daughters  of  another  tribe,  if  none 
of  those  of  Nootka  pleased  his  fancy,  for  a  help 
mate. 

John  cast  his  eye  round,  while  his  heart  revolted 
at  the  sight  of  all  the  candidates  for  his  hand, 
among  the  Nootkans ;  and  he  told  the  king  he 
must  look  farther  for  a  wife. 

Accordingly,  Maquina  took  about  fifty  men,  in 
two  canoes,  with  John,  and  a  large  quantity  of 
cloth,  sea-otter  skins,  and  other  articles,  to  purchase 
a  bride,  and  set  sail  for  Aitizzarts. 

They  reached  this  place  about  sunset,  while 
John  felt  more  like  a  victim  going  to  the  altar  for 
sacrifice,  than  like  a  bridegroom  approaching 
Hymen's  altar. 

Their  sudden  arrival  at  this  hour,  and  without 
any  known  purpose,  caused  great  alarm  at  the 
village.  The  men  seized  their  weapons,  and  pre 
paring  for  war,  rushed  violently  down  to  the  land 
ing-place,  making  signs  of  defence,  and  threatening 
destruction  on  the  supposed  assailants. 
T 


218  .$£         CAPTIVE    OF    NOOTKA. 

But  when  the  Nootkans  had  seated  themselves 
quietly  in  their  canoes,  remaining  perfectly  still 
for  half  an  hour,  th",  villagers  discovered  their 
mistake ;  and  the  king  sent  his  messenger  to  bid 
them  welcome,  and  to  show  them  to  his  presence. 

Meantime,  Kinneclimmets,   the  jester,  priest,  &( 
had  made  himself  ready  for  the  duties  of  the  offico 
he  was  to  perform,  by  dressing  and  powdering  with 
down. 

The  visitors,  with  their  king  at  their  head,  form 
ed  a  procession,  and  moved  with  great  order  to  the 
house  of  the  Aitizzart  monarch. 

After  being  seated  with  due  ceremony,  and 
partaking  of  a  sumptuous  spawny  and  oily  feast, 
dfaquina  told  John  to  look  round  ana  see  if  he 
could  find  a  girl  that  he  liked. 

His  choice  fell  on  one  about  seventeen  years 
old,  who  sat  beside  her  mother,  and  was  the 
daughter  of  Upquesta,  the  king. 


219 


CHAPTER    XXI. 

Marriage  ceremony— return  to  Tashees — John  goes  to  house~ 
keeping — is  told  he  must  change  his  dress — religious  obser- 

'  vance — revenge  of  a  husband  towards  his  wife — removal  tu 
Cooptee — taking  wild  geese — return  to  Nootka — John  is  sick 
— a  slave  dies. 

WHEN  John  had  pointed  out  his  future  compan 
ion,  Maquina  made  a  sign  to  his  men,  who  rose 
and  taking  the  bridegroom  by  the  hand,  led  him 
forth  into  the  middle  of  the  room. 

Two  of  them  were  then  despatched  to  the  canoes 
to  bring  the  articles  with  which  the  girl  was  to  be 
purchased. 

When  the  boxes  were  brought  in,  the  men  took 
out  the  articles,  one  holding  up  a  musket,  another 
a  parcel  of  skins,  a  third  a  bundle  of  cloth,  &c. 
while  the  jester,  (or  priest  for  the  time;  stepped  up 
to  Upquesta,  telling  him  that  all  these  belonged  to 
John,  and  that  he  had  come  to  oifer  them  for  his 
daughter  whom  he  wished  to  have  for  a  wife. 


220  *       CAPTIVE   OF   NOOTKA. 

As  he  said  this,  the  men  threw  the  articles  at  the 
king's  feet,  with  the  stern  air  and  look  common  for 
their  expression  of  respect. 

As  they  did  this,  the  men  and  women  of  the  vil 
lage,  whojvere  all  assembled  to  witness  the  cere 
mony,  set  up  a  loud  cry  of,  '  Klack-ko — Klack-ko, 
Tyee '  (thank  you,  thank  you,  chief.) 

Maquina  then  addressed  the  king,  setting  forth 
the  good  qualities  of  John,  saying  that  he  was  as 
good  a  man  as  themselves ;  that  he  had  only  the 
fault  of  being  white,  which  was  more  than  over 
balanced  by  his  wonderful  skill  in  making  daggers, 
cheetoolths  and  harpoons. 

He  said  he  had  so  good  a  temper,  that  men,  wo 
men  and  children  at  Nootka  loved  him ;  ajnd  that 
he  would  stay  with  them  as  long  as  he  lived. 

When  Maquina  began  to  make  this  eloquent  ha 
rangue,  which  lasted  half  an  hour,  Kinneclimmets 
began  to  skip  about  the  room,  and  continued  per 
forming  all  manner  of  pranks,  till  the  speech  was 
done. 

Upquesta  then  took  up  the  thread  of  discourse. 


CAPTIVE    OF    NOOTKA.  221 

He  set  forth  the  amiable  qualities  of  his  daughter 
Eutochee-exqua,  her  accomplishments,  and  the  love 
he  bore  her,  as  his  only  one. 

He  said,  she  was  too  dear  for  him  to  think  of  part 
ing  with  her.  But  after  talking  some  time  in  this 
strain,  he  finally  consented  to  the  union,  saying 
that  he  hoped  they  would  treat  his  daughter  kindly, 
and  that  she  would  have  a  good  husband. 

As  his  speech  finished  with  his  consent,  the  jest 
er  began  to  call  out  in  his  loudest  tones  of  voice, 
'  WacashJ  and  spun  round  the  room  on  his  heels, 
like  a  top. 

After  this,  Upquesta  told  his  men  to  take  the 
presents  that  had  been  laid  at  his  feet,  and  carry 
them  back  to  John ;  and  to  these  he  added  a  gift 
of  two  young  slaves,  to  help  his  new  son-in-law  in 
fishing. 

The  company  was  then  invited  to  a  wedding 
suppex  at  the  house  of  one  of  the  chiefs,  during 
which-  the  jester  amused  them  with  all  sorts  of 
monkey  gestures  and  tricks. 

The  entertainment  ended  with  a  war  song  from 


222  CAPTIVE   OF   NOOTKA. 

the  men  of  each  tribe,  and  a  show  of  brandishing 
their  weapons. 

The  company  then  returned  to  lodge  at  Upques- 
ta's  house ;  and  in  the  morning,  John  received  his 
bride  at  the  hand  of  her  father,  with  a  charge  to 
treat  her  kindly,  which  he  promised  to  do;  as  the 
girl  took  an  affectionate  leave  of  her  parents,  and 
accompanied  him,  with  an  air  of  satisfaction,  on 
board  the  canoe. 

In  addition  to  his  other  offices,  the  priest  held 
that  of  king's  steersman,  and  while  guiding  the 
canoe  homeward  with  the  lady  of  the  forest  within 
it,  he  regulated  the  song  of  passage  till  they  arrived 
at  the  village. 

On  landing,  their  success  was  attended  with  great 
bursts  of  joy,  and  Maquina  held  a  feast,  after  the 
\vomen  had  received  the  bride,  and  conducted  her 
to  a  place  in  the  king's  house,  where  she  was  to  be 
kept,  according  to  the  custom  of  their  country, 
lor  the  space  of  ten  days  in  retirement,  seeing  none 
but  the  women, — not  even  her  husband, — till  this 
time  had  elapsed. 


CAPTIVE   OF   NOOTKA.  223 

After  the  ten  days  had  passed,  John  had  an 
apartment  appointed  him  between  those  of  the  king 
and  his  brother. 

His  bride  appeared,  in  every  way,  of  an  amiable 
and  yielding  disposition;  and  she  was  more  fair 
and  comely  than  any  female  Indian  he  saw  except 
Maquina's  queen. 

Her  form  was  good;  her  manners  were  gentle 
and  affectionate ;  her  features  finely  made  and  re 
gular  ;  her  eyes  bright  and  soft ;  her  teeth  small  and 
white,  and  her  hair  very  long  and  fine. 

With  this  princess  for  a  bride,  John's  household 
consisted,  beside  himself,  of  Thompson  and  Sat-sat, 
whose  attacnment  to  him  still  remained  so  strong, 
that  he  prevailed  on  his  father  to  let  him  live  with 
him. 

Thus  John  went  to  keeping  house,  but  in  quite 
a  different  way  from  what  he  expected,  when  he 
took  his  father's  blessing  and  his  money,  and  set 
out  from  Hull  to  begin  the  world  for  himself. 

Soon  after  his  marriage,  Maquina  gave  him 
tmothei  shock,  by  telling  him,  that,  as  he  had  mar- 


CAPTIVE  OF    NOUTRA. 

ried  on  3  of  their  women,  he  had  become  one  of 
them  for  life,  and  he  must  adopt  not  only  their 
habits,  but  also  their  dress ;  a  command  that  was 
laid  both  on  him  and  Thompson. 

But  John  plead  Thompson  off,  by  urging  that  he 
was  an  old  man,  and  changing  his  close  garments 
for  the  kutsack,  would  probably  kill  him. 

For  himself,  he  got  leave  to  wear  the  dress  he  had 
on,  till  it  was  worn  out,  it  being  then  nearly  past  use. 

Sat-sat,  who  was  a  very  handsome  and  pleasant 
boy,  became  a  great  pet  with  the  new-married  pair, 
and  they  took  much  pleasure  in  decking  out  his 
little  red  person  with  beads,  shells,  jewels  and  other 
finery,  which  was  "very  gratifying  to  his  parents, 
and  increased  his  fondness  for  his  white  friend. 

When  the  annual  thanksgiving  came  round 
again,  John,  being  now  identified  with  the  natives, 
was  told  that  he  and  Thompson,  instead  of  being 
sent  into  the  woods,  must  stay  and  help  them  pray 
to  Quahootze  to  be  good  to  them. 

The  ceremonies  began  as  they  did  the  year  be 
fore;  after  which  the  tribe  all  stripped  themselves 


CAPTIVE    OF    NOOTKA.  225 

of  their  ornaments;  and  binding  on  the  fillet  of 
humiliation,  they  repaired  to  the  king's  house  with 
looks  of  sadness  and  dejection,  and  began  to  sing 
mournful  songs,  while  the  king  kept  time  to  the 
melancholy  tunes  by  beating  on  his  drum,  or  hol 
low  plank. 

The  celebration  was  concluded  by  a  boy,  who 
entered  the  room  with  six  bayonets  run  through 
his  flesh  in  different  parts.  By  these  he  was  lifted 
and  carried  round  the  apartment,  without  mak 
ing  any  visible  signs  of  pain. 

When  John  asked  the  cause  of  this  scene,  Maqui- 
na  told  him  that  formerly  a  man  used  to  be  sacri 
ficed  to  Quahootze  at  the  close  of  one  of  these  cere 
monies;  but  that  his  father  had  abolished  the 
practice,  and  adopted  this  in  its  stead. 

A  great  feast  followed  this  religious  observance, 
in  which  mirth  and  gluttony  took  the  place  of 
fasting  and  self-abasement. 

Shortly  after  this,  "Yealthlower^  the  king's  brother, 
sent  word  to  his  neighbor  John,  that  he  wanted 
him  to  come  and  file  his  teeth  for  him. 
15 


226  CAPTIVE   OF   NOOTKA. 

John,  suspecting  no  harm,  obeyed  the  summons, 
and  performed  the  office;  which  being  done,  and 
the  teeth  well  sharpened,  Yealthlower  told  him 
that  the  operation  was  to  enable  him  to  bite  off 
the  nose  of  a  new  wife  that  he  had  lately  bought, 
and  who  refused  to  obey  him. 

John  tried  to  dissuade  him  from  this  barbarous 
act ;  but  he  said  he  should  certainly  do  it,  if  his 
wife  did  not  behave  better,  for  if  she  was  not  a 
good  wife  to  him,  she  should  be  nobody's  wife. 

Not  many  hours  after,  he  did  as  he  had  threa 
tened,  and  sent  his  wife  back  to  her  father,  with 
the  loss  of  her  nose  as  a  souvenir  of  the  attachment 
of  her  sharp-toothed  husband. 

About  the  middle  of  December,  the  tribe  went  to 
Cooptee,  and  recommenced  their  business  of  spread 
ing  boughs  and  setting  wares  under  the  water  to 
entrap  their  food. 

In  addition  to  their  other  provisions,  they  had  a 
plenty  of  wild  geese  brought  them  here,  by  the 
Esquates. 

To  take  these  geese,  the  Indians  wove  a  sort  of 


CAPTIVE   OF    NOOTKA.  22* 

net  of  strong  fibrous  bark,  and  going  out  on  the 
water  in  a  very  dark  night,  with  their  canoes  stuck 
full  of  blazing  torches,  they  waited  till  the  fowls, 
(goose-like,)  attracted  by  the  glare,  gathered  round 
it  so  near  as  to  have  the  net  thrown  over  them, 
and  be  taken. 

One  would  suppose  that  none  but  a  goose 
would  do  such  a  foolish  thing  as  this ;  yet  many  a 
simpleton  is  so  dazzled  by  fair  and  bright  appear 
ances,  as  to  rush  into  as  sure  destruction  as  follow 
ed  these  delusive  lights. 

In  February,  the  Indians  went  back  to  Nootka ; 
and  in  March,  John  was  taken  violently  ill  of  the 
colic  in  consequence  of  not  being  properly  clad ; 
and  while  he  remained  sick,  a  slave  of  the  king's, 
having  died  of  the  same  complaint,  was  thrown  out 
of  the  house,  and  after  lying  some  time  without 
care,  he  was  at  length  taken  up  and  thrown  into 
the  water,  as  any  dead  animal  would  have  been, 
to  be  put  out  of  the  way. 


228 


CHAPTER    XXII. 

John  continues  sick  —he  is  divorced  from  his  wife — she  goes 
to  her  father — John  recovers — an  eclipse  of  the  moon — a 
vessel  arrives — consultation  about  the  captives — a  letter  writ' 
ten  to  be  carried  by  Maquina  to  the  vessel. 

THE  manner  in  which  this  poor  slave's  remains 
were  treated,  had  but  a  saddening  effect  on  John, 
who  expected  soon  to  share  the  same  fate,  as  bis 
disorder  threatened  his  life  ;  and  he  seemed  so  dis 
heartened,  and  so  disturbed  at  every  effort  of  his 
wife,  who,  though  she  did  what  she  could  to  relieve 
him,  was  but  an  awkward  nurse,  that  Maquina 
suspected  he  was  dissatisfied  with  her. 

He  therefore  told  John  that  if  he  did  not  like  his 
wife,  his  command  or  word  could  divorce  them* 
and  that  he  might  be  unmarried  and  let  his  princess 
return  to  her  tribe. 

So   John,  glad  of  the  offer   of  liberty,  told   the 


CAPTIVE    OF    XUO'IKA. 

young  princess  that,  as  he  should  probably  die,  she 
would  not  have  so  good  care  taken  of  her  at  Noot- 
ka  as  she  would  with  her  father,  and  advised  her 
to  return  and  put  herself  under  his  protection. 

With  this  advice  the  young  Mrs.  Jewitt  took 
an  affectionate  leave  of  her  supposed  dying  hus 
band,  telling  him  she  hoped  he  would  soon  be  better, 
and,  leaving  her  two  slaves  to  attend  upon  him,  de 
parted,  with  a  suitable  escort,  for  her  father's  town. 

Though  John  was  heartily  glad  of  being  relieved 
from  his  marriage  obligations,  yet  this  amiable 
young  creature  had  ever  been  so  kind  and  affec 
tionate  towards  him,  that  he  could  not  help  feeling 
some  sadness  on  account  of  her  departure ;  and 
had  he  not  viewed  her  as  an  insuperable  objection  to 
his  ever  leaving  the  place,  or  had  he  felt  the  event 
of  his  escape  a  hopeless  thing,  he  would  not  have 
been  willing  to  have  lost  her  society. 

By  degrees  he  recovered  his  health,  but  with  a 
heart  sinking  in  despondency,  as  no  signs  of  a 
vessel  appeared  on  the  coast,  and  no  way  of 
release  from  bondage  opened  to  his  view. 


230  CAPTIVE    OF    NOOTKA. 

He  had  written  many  duplicates  of  his  lettei, 
imploring  any  into  whose  hands  they  might  fall,  to 
come  to  the  relief  of  two  unfortunate  Christian 
men,  held  in  bondage  among  a  savage  people,  and 
representing  the  state  of  the  deplorable  life  they 
dragged  out,  far  from  home  and  from  a  civilized 
country. 

These  had  been  distributed  among  the  various 
tribes  on  the  coast,  for  delivery ;  but  as  no  vessel 
appeared,  he  supposed  they  must  have  been 
deterred  from  coming  to  the  coast  by  hearing  of 
the  destruction  of  the  Boston,  which  was  a  very 
large  and  powerful  ship. 

One  thing  that  occurred  during  the  winter  of 
which  I  have  been  giving  an  account,  I  have  not 
mentioned.  So  I  will  go  back  and  relate  it. 

On  the  15th  of  January,  1805,  John  and  his 
fellow  prisoner  were  awakened  suddenly,  in  the 
night  by  a  great  noise  and  commotion  among  the 
Indians,  who  were  all  up  and  out  on  the  roofs  of 
their  houses,  which  they  had  stuck  full  of  torches, 
each  in  a  bripht  blaze,  while  they  were  drumming 


CAPTIVE    OF    NOOTKA.  231 

on  pieces  of  plank,  shouting  and  singing  with  all 
their  might. 

On  John's  asking  the  cause  of  this  tumult,  they 
told  him  that  a  great  cod-fish  had  come  upon  the 
moon,  and  pointing  up  to  her,  told  him  to  see  how 
the  fish  was  trying  to  swallow  her  ;*  and  that  they 
were  endeavoring  to  drive  him  away. 

It  was  soon  found  that  the  great  fish  was  only 
an  eclipse  of  the  moon ;  but  what  gave  rise  to  this 
odd  superstition,  the  prisoners  were  never  able  to 
ascertain. 

From  the  time  of  John's  recovery  from  his  illness, 
his  life  and  Thompson's  were  dragged  out,  much  in 
the  way  that  has  been  described,  until  the  19th 
of  July,  when  they  had  a  sudden  and  joyful 
surprise. 

As  John  was  busily  at  work,  making  daggers  for 
the  king,  the  sound  of  cannon  from  the  water 
came  in  three  successive  peals,  upon  his  ear ;  and 
the  cry  of  '  strangers  !  strangers  !  white  men  /' 

as  sent  from  mouth  to  mouth,  among  the  natives, 


232  CAPTIVE   OF    NOOTKA. 

as  they  rushed  into  the  house,  telling  him  that  a 
vessel  was  coming  into  the  harbor. 

This  was  a  trying  moment  for  the  captive.3. 
The  ;oy  they  felt  may  be  imagined,  but  on  the 
suppression  of  every  symptom  of  it,  seemed  to 
depend  their  whole  hope  of  escape  ;  for  they  knew 
that  if  they  manifested  a  strong  desire  to  get  away, 
the  jealousy  of  the  king  and  chiefs,  lest  they 
should  inform  against  them,  would  occasion  them 
to  have  their  lives  taken  at  once. 

They  therefore  affected  great  indifference  at  the 
news;  and  the  natives,  wondering  at  it,  asked  if 
they  were  not  glad  to  see  the  vessel.  They  said 
they  cared  very  little  about  it,  and  kept  at 
work. 

Maquina  coming  in,  and  seeing  them  still  em 
ployed,  asked  John  if  he  did  not  know  a  vessel 
had  come.  He  answered,  Yes;  but  that  it  was 
nothing  to  him. 

•  What,  John.'  said  the  king,  l  you  no  want 
go  board?'  John  pretended  that  he  oared  very 
little  about  it,  as  he  had  become  so  reconciled  to 


ARRIVAL  OF  THE  SHIP  AT  NOOTKA  SOUND. 


234  CAPTIVE   OF    NOOTKA. 

his  present  mode  of  living,  that  he  felt  very  well 
satisfied  not  to  give  it  up  for  his  former  customs. 

A  council  was  now  held  respecting  the  best  way 
of  managing  the  affair,  and  of  disposing  of  the 
captives. 

Some  of  the  natives  were  for  having  them  put 
to  death,  and  for  making  the  strangers  believe  that 
another  tribe  had  destroyed  the  Boston. 

Some,  more  humane,  were  in  \favor  of  the 
latter  deception ;  but  they  wanted  to  have  John  and 
Thompson  sent  back  a  few  miles  into  the  woods, 
and  kept  out  of  sight,  till  the  vessel  should  depart. 

Others,  of  better  feelings  still,  were  neither  for 
killing  nor  hiding  them,  but  wanted  to  have  them 
liberated  and  sent  home. 

But  Maquina  was  loth  to  lose  them  in  any  way, 
yet  he  had  a  strange  desire  to  go  on  board  the 
vessel,  to  trade,  and  asked  John  if  he  thought  he 
could  do  it  with  safety. 

His  people  remonstrated  against  this  step,  for 
knowing  what  they  had  been  guilty  of,  they  feared 
being  punished  with  the  loss  of  their  king ;  and 


CAPTIVE   OF   NOOTKA.  235 

recurred  to  the  cruel  treatment  they  had  received 
from  the  whites  in  the  instances  which  Maquina 
had  related  to  John. 

But  John  told  them  that  if  they  had  lived  as  long 
among  the  whites  as  he  had,  they  would  find  they 
had  nothing  to  fear ;  and  said  he  was  sure  they 
would  not  harm  the  king  if  they  received  a  request 
from  him  to  use  Maquina  kindly. 

Maquina  then  said  he  would  go  to  the  vessel 
and  trade,  if  John  would  write  a  letter  and  tell 
the  captain  good  about  him ;  a  proposal  to  which 
John  readily  acceded,  so  far  as  writing  the  letter 
was  concerned ;  but  the  nature  of  the  contents  he 
reserved  for  his  own  choice,  and  wrote  as  follows : 

'  To  CAPT. ,  OF  THE  BRIG . 

(  Sir — The  bearer  of  this  is  the  Indian  king,  Ma 
quina,  by  whose  orders  the  American  ship  Boston, 
of  Boston,  Mass,  was  captured,  twenty-five  of  her 
crew,  the  officers  included,  were  inhumanly  murder 
ed,  and  the  only  surviving  two  held  as  slaves 
among  the  tribe. 


236  CAPTIVE   OF   NOOTKA. 

'  We,  these  unfortunate  men,  are  now  waiting  for 
your  assistance  in  our  deliverance,  and  hope  you 
will  keep  this  man  confined,  putting  in  your  dead 
lights,  and  having  a  strict  eye  to  him,  so  that  he 
may  not  escape  you.  If  you  will  do  this,  we  shall, 
in  a  few  hours,  be  able  to  obtain  our  release. 

'  JOHN  R.  JEWITT,  Armorer  of  the  Boston,- 
for  himself  and  JOHN  THOMPSON,  Sail- 
maker  of  said  ship.' 

Such  was  the  letter  of  recommendation  which 
the  royal  messenger  had  given  into  his  hand  to 
deliver;  and  this  was  the  '  good'  that  was  written 
about  him. 

Great  as  John's  deception  and  his  departure 
from  the  truth  may  seem,  at  this  trying  moment, 
none  can  say  that  circumstances  did  not  fully  justify 
him  in  taking  these  measures,  as  they  were  the  only 
means  of  effecting  the  escape,  which,  not  made, 
might  leave  him  to  a  cruel  death. 

My  readers  may  suppose  that  John  ran  a  great 
risk  in  giving  these  directions ;  but  he  knew  very 


CAPTIVE   OF    NOOTKA.  237 

well  that  though  the  natives  might  threaten  him  in 
the  most  frightful  manner,  they  would  not  dare  to 
hurt  him  or  Thompson,  while  their  king  was  con 
fined  and  in  the  power  of  the  whites;  and  that 
sooner  than  have  him  injured,  they  would  give  up 
five  hundred  slaves. 


288 


CHAPTER    XXIII. 

Maquina  questions  John — he  takes  the  letter — is  detained  in  irons 
on  board  the  brig — rage  and  grief  of  the  natives — Thompson 
is  sent  to  the  vessel — John  is  also  carried  out — his  arrival  at  the 
brig — account  of  the  brig — how  she  came  there — demand  of 
the  things  belonging  to  the  Boston. 

NEVER  did  John  undergo  such  a  scrutinizing 
look  from  any  other  mortal,  as  Maquina  gave  him, 
when  he  took  the  letter,  and  told  him  to  place  his 
finger  on  every  word  and  tell  him  its  true  meaning. 

He  had  to  forge  a  definition  for  every  syllable, 
and  to  make  it  out,  that  he  had  told  the  captain 
how  kind  the  king  had  been  to  him ;  and  asked 
him  to  use  him  well,  and  give  him  as  much  bis 
cuit  and  molasses,  and  rum,  as  he  wanted. 

Since  his  marriage,  John  had  painted  his  face, 
like  the  others,  which  helped  him  now  to  tell  a  lie, 
without  fearing  his  own  countenance  would  contra- 


CAPTIVE   OF  NOOTKA.  239 

diet  his  tongue.  When  he  had  got  to  the  end  of 
the  letter,  with  a  false  interpretation  for  every  sen 
tence,  Maquina  placed  his  finger  on  his  name,  and 
giving  a  glance  that  searched  him  through,  said, 
'  John,  you  no  lie?' 

'Why,  Tyee,  do  you  ask  me  this?  have  you 
ever  known  me  to  deceive  you?'  said  John.  *  No,' 
was  the  reply.  '  Why  then,'  said  John,  '  should  you 
suspect  me  now?'  Maquina' s  keen  black  eye  was 
all  this  time  ri vetted  upon  his  face,  and  when  he 
had  done  speaking,  the  king  ordered  his  men  to  get 
out  the  canoe  for  him  to  go  to  the  vessel. 

His  people  entreated  him  not  to  go,  and  his  wives 
fell  on  their  knees  at  his  feet,  imploring  him  to  stay 
on  shore ;  hut  he  turned  from  them,  and  saying, 
'  John  no  lie,'  left  the  house,  and  stepping  into  the 
canoe,  ordered  it  to  be  paddled  to  the  vessel. 

He  delivered  the  letter,  and  was  immediately 
taken  and  put  in  irons,  after  he  had  been  lured 
into  the  cabin  to  eat  biscuit  and  molasses,  while 
the  men  on  board  were  arming  themselves  and  pre 
paring  the  manacles. 


DEPARTURE  OF  MAQUINA  FOR  THE  VESSEL. 


CAPTIVE    OF    NOOTKA.  241 

He  was  in  great  terror  at  this  reception,  but 
made  no  resistance,  only  asking  the  captain  to  let 
one  of  his  men  come  to  speak  with  him. 

The  captain  granted  this  request,  but  told  him 
he  was  his  prisoner  till  he  ordered  two  men,  who; 
he  knew,  were  on  shore  in  captivity,  to  be  released. 

The  inhabitants  were  all  waiting  on  the  beach 
for  the  return  of  the  canoe.  As  they  saw  it  com 
ing  without  the  king,  they  showed  much  concern ; 
and  when  it  neared  the  land,  and  they  learnt  what 
had  happened,  they  began  to  yell,  tear  out  their  hair, 
and  run  about  in  a  most  wild  and  terrific  manner. 

They  told  John,  they  knew  it  was  a  plot  of  his ; 
and  brandishing  their  weapons  over  him,  said  that 
they  would  cut  him  into  pieces  as  small  as  their 
thumb-nails ;  that  they  would  roast  him  alive,  and 
head  downwards,  over  a  slow  fire ;  and  many 
other  ways  did  they  tell  in  which  he  should  atone 
for  his  deed,  but  without  alarming  him;  for  he 
threw  open  his  bear-skin  garment,  telling  them  to 
strike  ;  that  he  was  but  one  among  many,  and  they 
might  easily  kill  him,  if  they  wished  to'  see  their 
16  V 


242  CAPTIVE   OF    NOOTKA. 

king  hung  up  on  '  that  pole/  which  he  called  the 
yard  of  the  vessel,  pointing  to  it. 

These  threats  were  from  the  common  people, 
and  the  men.  But  Maquina's  wives  came  round 
John,  and  kneeling  before  him,  begged  him  not  to 
let  the  white  people  hurt  him  ;  while  poor  little  Sat- 
sat  kept  fast  hold  of  his  hand,  and  crying  as  if  his 
heart  would  break,  as  he  plead  for  the  life  of  his 
father,  saying,  '  Don't  let  him  be  killed !  don't  let 
him  be  hurt !' 

John  pacified  them  all  by  assuring  them  there 
was  nothing  to  fear,  if  they  would  let  him  and 
Thompson  go  free;  for,  that  this  was  a  thing  01 
the  captain's  own  doing,  as  no  doubt,  he  had  heard 
of  their  being  kept  in  bondage,  and  come  to  release 
them. 

This,  they  believed,  though  they,  at  first,  cried 
out  so  violently,  that  John  had  spoke  bad  about 
Maquina,  in  the  letter ;  and  they  now  came  and 
asked  what  they  must  do  to  get  their  king  safe 
back. 

John  told  them,  the  best  thing  would  be  to  let 


CAPTIVE   OF   NOOTKA.  243 

Thompson  be  sent  on  board,  with  a  request  to  the 
captain  to  treat  the  king  well,  till  he  could  come 
out  towards  the  vessel  in  a  canoe ;  and  then  to 
let  Maquina  get  into  a  boat  and  be  brought  out, 
where  an  exchange  of  prisoners  should  take  place 
on  the  water. 

They  were  willing  to  let  Thompson  go ;  but  they, 
at  first,  wanted  John  to  remain  on  land,  till  the 
men  of  the  brig  should  bring  Maquina,  and  take 
him  back. 

But  John  knew  better  than  to  trust  his  life  to  a 
plan  like  this.  He  felt  it  would  not  be  worth  much 
on  shore  among  the  natives,  with  their  king  safe 
back,  after  what  had  now  taken  place. 

He  therefore  told  them,  that  the  captain,  who 
knew  how  they  had  treated  the  crew  of  the  Boston, 
would  never  consent  to  their  king's  coming  till 
after  both  their  prisoners  were  safe  in  the  vessel, 
unless  he  got  within  reach,  so  that  he  could  speak 
to  him,  and  tell  him  to  let  the  king  come  oiF. 

So  when  Thompson  had  got  safe  away  from  the 
shore  and  the  people  he  had  so  long  and  so  hearti- 


244  CAPTIVE    OF    NOOTKA. 

ly  detested,  John  told  them  if  they  would  now 
take  him,  and  paddle  him  so  near  that  he  could 
hail  the  vessel,  he  would  call  to  have  Maquina  sent 
out  in  the  boat,  from  which  he  might  step  into  the 
canoe,  when  he,  giving  up  his  seat  in  it,  would 
take  one  in  the  boat  and  go  to  the  vessel. 

This  they  consented  to;  while  Sat-sat  hung 
round  John,  begging  him,  since  he  was  going 
away  himself  to  leave  him,  to  see  that  his  father 
was  given  safe  back  to  him. 

John  promised  to  do  this,  and,  after  taking  an 
affectionate  leave  of  the  weeping  boy,  he  hastened 
to  the  canoe  that  waited  for  him. 

He  took  his  seat  so  as  to  face  the  Indians,  who 
paddled,  and  who,  as  soon  as  they  came  within 
hail  of  the  brig,  dropped  their  oars,  and  waited  for 
the  call  to  be  given. 

At  this,  John  took  out  his  pistols,  and  told  them 
to  proceed,  or  he  would  shoot  them  both  dead  in  a 
moment. 

Unprepared  for  an  act  of  this  sort,  the  Indians 
were  so  frightened,  that  they  almost  fancied  them- 


CAPTIVE    OF    NOOTKA.  245 

selves  shot  already,  and  seizing  their  oars,  they 
literally  paddled  for  their  lives,  till  they  got  to  the 
side  of  the  brig. 

We  can  never  describe  John's  emotions ;  but  we 
may  imagine  how  his  heart  leapt  for  joy  within  his 
bosom,  as  his  feet  leapt  on  board  the  vessel  of  a 
Christian  people. 

The  vessel  was  the  brig  Lydia,  of  Boston,  Cap 
tain  Samuel  Hill,  commander,  who  had  been  on  the 
coast  near  Klaizzart,  and  received  the  letter  from 
the  chief,  Ulatilla. 

This  interesting  young  chief  had  been  faithful  to 
his  promise  made  to  John,  to  see  his  letter  delivered, 
and  had  gone  out  some  distance  to  sea  in  his  canoe, 
to  give  the  letter  with  his  own  hand,  into  that  of 
the  captain,  who  on  receiving  it,  proceeded  directly 
to  Nootka  to  the  relief  of  the  prisoners. 

The  crew  of  the  Lydia  rushed  to  the  side  of 
the  deck  as  John  sprang  on  board,  with  such  a 
crowd  of  feeling  of  various  kinds,  as  almost  choked 
his  utterance,  while  he  tried  to  thank  them  for 


JEWETT  COMPELLING  THE  INDIANS  TO  ROW  TOWARDS  TUP 
VESSEL. 


CAPTIVE    OF    NOOTKA.  247 

their  kindness,  and  their  congratulation  on  his 
escape. 

In  this  confused  state  of  mind,  and  overwhelming 
flow  of  feeling,  with  his  strange  and  savage  aspect, 
he  must  have  filled  the  heholders  with  astonish 
ment.  Indeed,  Captain  Hill  afterwards  told  him 
that  he  never  saw  any  human  figure  look  so  wild 
as  he  did  when  he  came  to  the  vessel. 

He  was  dressed  in  bear-skin ;  his  hair  was  long 
and  drawn  up  on  the  top  of  his  head,  and  sur 
mounted  by  a  branch  of  spruce  j  his  face  was  paint 
ed  in  true  Indian  style. 

When  he  went  below  to  see  Maquina,  who  did 
not  know  that  he  had  any  hand  in  his  confinement, 
he  found  him  looking  sad  and  dejected. 

But  his  face  brightened  as  he  beheld  his  friend 
John's;  and  John  asked  leave  of  the  captain  to 
knock  off  the  irons  of  the  captive  king,  assuring 
him,  that  as  long  as  he  was  with  Maquina,  there 
was  nothing  to  fear  from  him. 

He  then  gave,  in  presence  of  Maquina,  a  full 
account  of  the  misfortune  of  the  Boston ;  and  Cap- 


248  CAPTIVE   OF   NOOTKA. 

tain  Hill  thought  Maquina  ought  to  be  put  to  death. 
But  John  plead  in  his  behalf. 

He  said  that,  notwithstanding  all  the  cruelty 
that  had  been  shown  to  the  crew,  Maquina  had 
often  spared  his  life,  when  the  cry  of  the  people 
was  for  his  blood. 

He  told  Captain  Hill  that  he  had  not  only  saved 
his  life,  but  been  uniformly  kind,  giving  him  a 
share  of  the  best  he  had ;  and  that  he  could  never 
give  his  consent  to  the  death  of  a  man  who  had 
done  this. 

Maquina,  who  understood  the  nature  of  the  con 
versation,  kept  interrupting  it  by  asking,  '  What  are 
they  going  to  do  with  me  ?  are  they  going  to  kill 
me?'  &c. 

'John,'  said  he,  'you  know  that,  when  you 
were  alone  among  five  hundred  warriors,  all  your 
enemies,  I  saved  your  life,  when  they  demanded 
it — I  was  your  friend.  Now  will  you  not  do  the 
same  by  me  V 

John  told  him  he  would,  and  that  he  had  noth 
ing  to  fear  if  he  would  remain  quietly  till  his  peo- 


CAPTIVE    OF    NOOTKA.  249 

pie  could  bring  out  the  remaining  spoil  of  the 
Boston,  which  ought  to  be  restored  to  its  right 
owners.  But  this  could  not  be  done  till  the  next 
morning,  it  was  now  so  near  night. 


250 


CHAPTER    XXIV. 

The  things  belonging  to  the  Boston  brought  out — Maquina  takes 
his  leave  of  John — death  of  a  young  Chief — return  of  the 
vessel  to  Nootka,  from  the  northward — Maquina  visits  her 
with  skins — voyage  to  China — John  hears  from  home  by  an 
Englishman — comes  to  Boston — finds  a  letter  from  his 
mother — concluding  remarks . 

THE  Indians  in  waiting  for  their  king,  were  then 
told  that  as  soon  as  they  would  bring  out  what 
belonged  to  the  Boston,  they  should  take  him  back; 
but  a  strict  injunction  was  laid  on  them,  not  to 
approach  the  vessel  during  the  night,  if  they  did 
not  wish  to  be  fired  upon. 

It  was  John's  lot  to  pass  the  night  with  the  royal 
captive,  who  would  riot  let  him  sleep,  but  kept 
rousing  him  to  answer  some  question  about  what 
was  to  be  done  with  him. 

Early  in  the  morning,  John  hailed  the  natives, 


CAPTIVE    OF    NOOTKA.  251 

and  told  them  it  was  the  will  of  their  king  that  they 
should  bring  out  the  things  belonging  to  the  owners 
of  the  Boston. 

They  accordingly  went  to  work  with  great  ex 
pedition.  To  remove  the  cannon  and  anchors, 
they  lashed  two  of  the  largest  canoes  together,  and 
covered  them  with  planks,  and  thus,  with  their 
burden  upon  them,  towed  them  out, 

In  about  two  hours,  every  thing  belonging  to  the 
ship  and  her  cargo,  that  remained  with  the  natives, 
was  brought  out;  and  Maquina  was  told  that  he 
might  go  home. 

His  canoe  had  come  for  him.  bringing,  in  addi 
tion  to  the  other  things,  all  the  skins  which  he  had 
in  possession,  about  sixty  in  number,  as  a  present 
to  the  captain  for  letting  him  return,  and  without 
hurting  him. 

Such  was  Maquina' s  rapture,  on  being  told  he 
might  go,  that  he  sprang  up,  and  throwing  off  his 
mantle  that  consisted  of  four  fine  skins,  he  gave  it 
to  the  captain  in  token  of  his  gratitude. 

Captain  Hill  gave  him,  in  return,  a  hat  and  great 


252  .  CAPTIVE    OF    NOOTKA. 

coat,  with  which  he  seemed  much  pleased;  and 
told  him  that  he  should  return  to  that  part  of  the 
coast  in  November,  and  he  wished  him  to  save  all 
his  skins  for  him  to  purchase. 

'John,'  said  Maquina,  turning  to  him  as  his  in 
terpreter,  '  you  know  1  shall  then  he  at  Tashees. 
But  make  a  pow,  (fire  a  gun)  and  I  will  come  down 
to  meet  you  here.' 

As  he  stood  at  the  side  of  the  brig,  ready  to  step 
into  the  canoe,  he  shook  John  cordially  by  the 
hand,  telling  him,  he  hoped  he  would  come  to  see 
him  again  in  a  big  ship,  and  bring  much  plenty 
blankets,  biscuit,  molasses  and  rum  for  him  and 
his  son,  who,  he  knew,  loved  him  very  much. 

He  added,  that  he  should  never  take  a  letter  of 
recommendation  to  any  one  again,  nor  trust  himself 
on  board  a  vessel,  unless  John  were  in  it. 

The  tears  trickled  down  his  cheeks,  as  he  bade 
John  farewell,  stepped  into  the  canoe,  and  was  pad 
dled  off. 

There  was  much  in  the  character  of  this  Indian 
king,  which,  had  it  been  moulded  by  civilization, 


PARTING  OF  JEWETT  AND  MAQUINA. 


254  CAPTIVE   OF   NOOTKA. 

and  purified  by  Christianity,  would  have  been 
noble  and  delightful,  and  John  had  received  so 
much  kindness  and  protection  from  him,  when  he 
had  none  besides  to  help  him,  by  human  agency, 
that  he  could  not  help  feeling  a  sort  of  sadness  at 
his  final  separation  from  him. 

An  accident  that  happened  on  board  the  brig, 
greatly  damaged  the  joy  of  John  at  his  liberation. 

A  young  Nootkan  chief,  who  had  had  no  hand  in 
killing  the  crew  of  the  Boston,  and  who  was  a  fine 
fellow,  happened  to  be  one  to  help  bring  the  mus 
kets  to  the  brig.  As  they  were  delivered,  Captain 
Hill  sat  in  the  cabin,  and  snapped  several  of  their 
locks.  The  young  chief  was  near ;  when  one  of 
the  muskets  going  off,  discharged  the  contents  into 
his  body.  The  gun  was  loaded  with  swan  shot. 

John,  on  hearing  the  report  of  the  gun,  ran  to  the 
cabin,  and  found  the  Indian  weltering  in  his  blood 
with  the  captain,  greatly  shocked  at  the  accider 
trying  to  help  him.  John  assured  him  it  was  not 
intentional,  as  the  captain  had  no  idea  of  the  gun's 
being  loaded. 


CAPTIVE   OF  NOOTKA.  255 

He  said  he  was  well  aware  of  that,  and  after 
having  his  wounds  bound  up,  he  was  put  into  a 
canoe  and  carried  on  shore.  It  was  afterwards 
found  that  he  languished  some  days,  and  then  died 
of  his  wounds.  He  had  always  shown  an  amiable 
disposition,  and  been  a  good  friend  to  the  captives. 

The  brig  made  her  excursion  northward,  and 
returned  to  Nootka  in  November.  Here  they  fol 
lowed  Maquina' s  directions,  and  made  the  ' pow.' 

In  a  few  hours,  a  canoe  was  seen.  After  having 
landed  the  king,  it  came  out  to  the  brig,  and  John 
recognised  in  it,  the  voice  of  Kinneclimmets,  who 
asked  if  John  was  on  board,  saying  that  he  had 
some  skins  to  sell  them,  if  he  was. 

John  went  forward  and  invited  him  and  the 
others  on  board.  They  accepted,  and  told  the  cap 
tain  that  Maquina  had  some  fine  skins ;  but  that  he 
was  afraid  to  come  to  the  vessel  unless  John  would 
come  after  him.  This  John  agreed  to  do,  if  they 
would  remain  at  the  vessel. 

They  consented,  and  he  got  into  their  canoe,  and 
paddled  ashore.  On  his  landing,  Maquina  was 


256  CAPTIVE   OF    NOOTKA. 

overjoyed  to  meet  him.  But  when  he  asked  for 
his  men,  and  was  told  why  they  did  not  come, 
1  Ah  !  John/  said  he,  'I  see  you  are  afraid  to  trust 
me,  yet.  But  you  need  not  have  feared,  for  I 
should  not  have  hurt  you,  though  I  should  have 
taken  good  care  never  to  let  you  go  on  board  a 
vessel  again.' 

He  then  took  his  chest  of  skins,  and  got  into 
the  canoe  which  John  paddled  to  the  brig.  He 
sold  his  skins,  and  seeming  pleased  with  his  visit, 
took  a  second  leave  of  John,  asking  how  many 
moons  there  would  be,  before  he  would  come  back 
to  see  him  and  Sat- sat,  who,  he  said,  wanted  very 
much  to  come  down  with  him  from  Tashees  to  see 
him. 

The  Lydia  was  bound  to  China.  After  a  good 
voyage,  with  pleasant  weather,  she  arrived,  in  due 
time,  at  Canton.  Here  there  was  an  English  ship, 
whose  mate,  hearing  of  two  captives  that  had  been 
released  from  Nootka,  came  to  inquire  about  them. 

This  young  man  happened  to  be  the  son  of  a 
merchant  at  Hull,  and  next-door  neighbor  to  John's 


CAPTIVE   OF   NOOTKA.  257 

father.  He  had  heard  of  the  fate  of  the  Boston, 
and,  like  the  rest  of  John's  friends,  supposed  him 
to  be  long  since  dead. 

Their  meeting  I  will  not  describe.  I  will  only 
say  that  the  young  man,  whose  name  was  John 
Hill,  furnished  John  with  comfortable  clothing, 
some  money,  and  many  other  articles  that  might 
add  to  his  comfort  on  his  passage,  and  after  his 
arrival  in  America. 

John  gave  him  a  letter  to  his  parents,  which  ar 
rived  safely  and  speedily ;  for,  when  the  Lydia  ar 
rived  at  Boston,  after  a  passage  of  a  hundred  and 
fourteen  days  from  China,  which  she  left  in  Febru 
ary,  1807,  he  found  a  letter  in  the  post-office,  in 
answer  to  it. 

The  letter  was  from  his  mother,  informing  him 
that  all  his  friends  at  home  were  alive  and  well. 
What  else  it  informed  him  of,  report  saith  not. 

Neither  have  we  any  particular  accounts  of 
Thompson,  after  he  gained  his  freedom.  But  I 
presume,  he  applied  himself  to  the  sail-needle 
17  W 


258  CAPTIVE    OF    NOOTKA. 

again ;  and  that  he  always  took  good  care  to  keep 
clear  of  the  shores  of  Nootka. 

Our  hero,  John  R.  Jewitt,  of  whom  we  are  now 
about  to  take  our  leave,  acknowledged  much  kind 
ness  received  from  the  gentlemen  who  had  owned 
the  lost  ship,  during  his  stay  in  Boston,  Massa 
chusetts. 

How  long  he  remained  there,  we  have  never 
heard,  nor  where  he  bent  his  way  from  that  place. 

The  last  I  ever  heard  of  him,  gave  information 
of  his  being  a  resident  in  Middletown,  Connecticut, 
in  the  year  1815. 

Whether  he  ever  went  through  a  second  mar 
riage  ceremony,  or  not,  I  am  not  able  to  say ;  nei 
ther  can  I  tell  the  line  of  life  which  he  followed 
after  his  emancipation  from  slavery. 

But  I  presume  that  wherever  his  lot  was  cast, 
and  whatever  that  lot  might  be,  he  always  carried 
about  with  him  a  grateful  heart. 

However  sincerely  he  might  have  regretted  his 
own  waywardness,  in  preferring  to  take  his  own 
course  in  the  choice  of  a  profession,  to  hearing  to 


CAPTIVE   OF   NOOTKA.  259 

the  advice  of  his  good  father,  I  think  he  could 
never  again  have  distrusted  the  overruling  hand 
of  Providence,  or  despaired  of  its  help  in  a  trying 
hour. 

Experience  is  a  faithful  school-master,  though, 
often  a  severe  one,  in  whose  hand  the  rod  is  some 
times  used,  even  when  the  pupil  may  feel  penitent 
for  his  faults  of  will  or  of  judgment. 


N  t 

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1*44 


